CRS Work in Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza

Catholic Relief Services works in partnership with community councils, high schools, youth organizations, universities and human rights organizations to help impoverished Palestinians.

Gaza Emergency Humanitarian Aid

Beginning in August 2006, CRS provided three emergency distributions of food, hygiene items and blankets for families affected by the economic crisis and Israeli military incursions in Gaza. These distributions reached more than 33,000 individuals.

Food for Work/Food for Training

CRS is improving living conditions in the southern rural areas of the West Bank, Jericho and East Jerusalem by creating job opportunities for the unemployed. Since the fall of 2006, more than 120,000 people, or 16,000 families, have received food in return for 20 hours of training or 25 hours of work per month.

Both men and women learn skills related to health, home economics, agriculture and livestock. As a result of the Food for Work/Food for Training program, participants have rehabilitated their farmlands, built retaining walls for schools, clinics and agricultural roads, and improved the overall infrastructure of their communities.

Emergency Assistance to University Students

This program improves educational opportunities for needy students while protecting the viability of Palestinian universities. It provides financial assistance to 930 students affected by the current economic crisis, who otherwise could not afford to attend college. In the West Bank, financial assistance includes partial tuition, meals and photocopying costs for up to 1,000 pages of educational materials. In Gaza, the program covers full tuition. Participating universities include Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities in the West Bank and Al Azhar University in Gaza. In exchange for financial assistance, students perform 40 hours of community volunteer work in local institutions during the summer.

Psychosocial Intervention in the Gaza Strip

Internal fighting in Gaza, continuing Israeli military action and severe economic problems have deeply shaken Palestinian society. The trauma caused ranges from physical injuries to the emotional wounds of witnessing killings and injuries of relatives and friends. Shortly after the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip, CRS partnered with the Gaza Community Mental Health Program on a two-month program to provide emergency mental health services and counseling for children and women. It also helps youth leaders overcome their traumatic experiences and engages them to develop a campaign to encourage peaceful conflict resolution among Palestinian young people.

Increasing Civic Participation/Education and Youth

Building Youth Leaders in Palestine

Today's Palestinian young people are an extraordinary group, dealing with a unique set of challenges few youth in the world have to encounter. They have been born into occupation and lived through military incursions. Expanding settlements, the security barrier, restrictions on movement, and lack of economic opportunity are all obstacles to personal growth.

CRS recognizes that Palestinian youth can be a positive force in society. In the Building Youth Leaders in Palestine project, CRS aims to empower youth by giving them opportunities to change their own society.

Value-Building Education

In 2006, CRS launched the Value-Building Education program in four pilot schools, two in the West Bank and two in the Gaza Strip. CRS brings together teachers, students, parents and the community in a variety of activities that stimulate a sense of social responsibility among students.

CRS trained parents-student-teacher councils to reshape the educational system. These councils were able to identify gaps in the educational system, communicate needs to school administrations and raise student awareness of various issues.

The Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, SJ Institute for Youth Leadership

CRS, in cooperation with the Jesuit Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem, provides support to the SJ Institute for Youth Leadership at Bethlehem University. This institute consists of academic and social programs for young Palestinians in both Christian and Muslim communities. Its programs also respond to the recognized need among Palestinians to foster values that will support democratic change in Palestine.

Public Outreach and Advocacy

CRS seeks to raise awareness, promote interest and engage potential leaders in the United States about issues concerning the conflict in the Holy Land. This initiative is in line with the agency's strategy to help Catholics in the United States live their faith in solidarity with the poor and marginalized overseas. Through programs like our Community Networks for Solidarity Action and our partnership with Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem ("in [His] image"), we help U.S. Catholics and others understand the issues and become advocates for peace.