Press Releases
Since the start of the Israeli regime’s genocide in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian refugee camps have been heavily targeted with the aim to suppress resistance through nightly raids, killings, arbitrary arrests, destruction of homes and infrastructure and collective punishment.
Thus, BADIL, six members of the Global Palestinian Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Network (GPRN), and the Palestinian Youth Forum (PYF) implemented community initiatives and voluntary days in six refugee camps in the West Bank: Jenin, Balata, Tulkarem, Nur Shams, Aida Refugee Camp, and Dheisheh. Each partner organization designed its initiative to its specific field of work, based on the needs of the refugees in each camp. The target groups included children, women, and youth, all with the aim of enhancing community’s resilience and ability to resist Israel’s escalated suppression policies and practices.
Not to Forget Association, Jenin Refugee Camp
“Safe Space for Children” Initiative: The organization has completed establishing a children’s room featuring basic playground equipment, children’s books, and educational and recreational materials. (See pictures below)
Voluntary Day: providing winter clothes to 40 children in the camp, especially those whose families are in need.
Yafa Cultural Center, Balata Refugee Camp
“Empowering Children Psychologically and Socially” Initiative: The center implemented 30 workshops targeting 40 children, designed to provide psychological care and support to alleviate the fear and trauma resulting from the near-daily Israeli raids, killing and destruction in Balata Camp.
Voluntary days: (in cooperation with the camp’s Scout Group) cleaning the camp, painting walls, recycling tires and planting flowers in them to make the camp cleaner and more attractive, which has an uplifting and encouraging psychological effect on the camp’s residents.
Al Awda Center, Tulkarem Refugee Camp
“Productive and Creative Youth” Initiative: in partnership with a youth cooperative, completed a training program that includes three training courses for 45 young men and women, that aim at teaching them various skills in recycling (glass, clothing/fabrics, and wood) and provide a source of income. The aims are to encourage an alternative economic through investing in the available spaces for culture inside youth homes and develop and equip them with the tools and needs to learn and produce.
Voluntary Day: in cooperation with a group of agricultural cooperatives in Tulkarm Governorate, which targeted young camp residents that included cleaning and planting an agricultural land belonging to the Juthoor Al Shams (Roots of the Sun) Agricultural Cooperative in Tulkarm. The main goal is to motivate camp residents, especially young people, to participate in volunteer work that serves the resilience of Palestinian society.
Nur Shams Charitable Association for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, Nur Shams Refugee Camp
“Empowered Creative Women” Initiative: a series of workshops that train 45 women from low or no-income households in the camp, to make dolls/toys, accessories, candles and glass painting in order to provide alternative income.
Voluntary Day: targeting 40 children of the camp, providing stationery and school supplies for the children of the camp, coinciding with the beginning of the school year, enhancing children's capabilities and motivating them to study.
Lajee’ Center, Aida Refugee Camp
“Empowering Refugee Women” Initiative: a series of training sessions in management, food production, handicrafts, packaging, marketing, and advertising, along with awareness sessions on social, political, and economic rights aimed at empowering refugee women to establish a food production cooperative and a handcrafts cooperative. Phase II of the initiative included purchasing kitchen equipment to assist in food productions for sale.
Voluntary Day: cleaning and planting flower pots in the center, maintain and planting on the rooftop, pruning mint plants, and cleaning dead leaves from the tree basins with children and youth in the camp.
Ibdaa’ Organization, Dheisheh Refugee Camp
“Children’s Creative Summer Camp” Initiative: managed by a number of specialized trainers and with the participation of 100 children, recreational activities that aimed at developing skills and enhancing children's abilities and mental health.
Voluntary Day: a group of 40 children with diabetes were provided with psychological and awareness support within recreational activities. Diabetes strips were distributed to enable monitoring of their blood sugar levels.
Hundreds of refugees of all ages, male and female, participated in and engaged in the initiatives and volunteer days which were implemented in cooperation with BADIL’s partner organizations and the Palestinian Youth Forum. These initiatives and voluntary days are part of BADIL's strategic program to strengthen the resistance and resilience of the Palestinian people, particularly refugees, and subsets of this sector that are more marginalized and vulnerable. Their importance is underscored by Israel’s policies and practices of the suppression of resistance under the umbrella of the Israeli genocide on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.