Giving to Gaza
A practical guide from Circle on how donors can provide meaningful help to Gaza and the wider Palestinian diaspora
Overview
More than 18 months of an Israeli bombardment has razed most of Gaza to the ground, displacing some 1.9 million – equivalent to 90 percent of the population – and killing an estimated 55,000 people, according to OCHA, the UN’s humanitarian coordination office. Hunger is widespread and malnutrition rates are soaring.
Since the bombing began in October 2023, Gaza has suffered catastrophic infrastructure damage across all sectors valued at an estimated US$18bn. Water systems have been severely hit, with 115km of pipelines, 63 wells, four reservoirs, and a major desalination plant destroyed.
Satellite analysis by UNOSAT in April 2025 recorded damage to 174,526 structures, 68 percent of which were destroyed or severely damaged, generating more than 53 million tonnes of debris which will take an estimated 22 years to clear. In addition to the collapse of water and sanitation systems, power supplies have been cut, and over 90 percent of primary roads have been destroyed.
The health sector is likewise in a state of devastation, with 94 percent of hospitals either damaged or destroyed. Only 19 out of 36 hospitals are still partially functioning, and barely a dozen are able to deliver a full range of basic services. As for education, 95 percent of schools have been damaged or destroyed, and tens of thousands of children are out of school.
This profound level of need is further exacerbated by the continued insecurity and repeated attacks on humanitarians and healthcare workers, as well as Israeli-enforced border restrictions on supplies entering the territory, along with efforts to undermine UNRWA, the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees.
It should be noted that even before the start of Israel’s response to the Hamas-led October 7 attacks, Gaza was already highly dependent on aid supplies. An average of 500 trucks a day would provide food, medical equipment and other supplies not produced or available inside the territory, whose economy and infrastructure has been choked by years of Israeli blockades.
A humanitarian access survey of 43 local and international aid organisations working in Gaza found that 95 percent have had to either temporarily suspend or drastically reduce services since the renewed escalation of violence following the collapse of the temporary ceasefire on 18 March, 2025.
These constraints have left aid convoys stranded on the wrong side of the border, donors grappling with limited avenues for providing support, and a population in ever-increasing need.
As of May 2025, UN and partner agencies placed funding needs at $6.6bn to address the humanitarian needs of 3.3 million people in Gaza and the West Bank. To date, member states and donors have provided just $637.6m, which is barely 15.7 percent of the amount required.
Amid this breakdown in supply, the governments of the United States and Israel have set up their own aid system for Gaza, administered by private security contractors. Critics – including the UN and other leading INGOS - say the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) does not meet humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality, independence.
Meanwhile, smaller organisations and community-led initiatives have been stepping up, forming a crucial network of aid delivery in Gaza. Some are led by local volunteers and medical staff operating in near-impossible conditions, while others are supported by diaspora-led or regional organisations that enable frontline response. See below for frontline orgs you can support.
How to help Gaza
There are several ways to support people in Gaza. While governments, UN agencies, and international NGOs are responding, so too are smaller frontline groups, diaspora networks, and grassroots initiatives. The needs are immense, and every form of support matters.
If you're unsure where to direct your help, the list below outlines who is doing what, and where.
Whether you're looking to fund student scholarships, medical care for injured children, or psychosocial support for families, we've mapped out the many different ways you can make a difference to current and future generations of Palestinians.
Give responsibly
- Don’t organise your own fundraising campaign or initiative without formal permission, as unauthorised fundraising can result in legal penalties. Only support registered and licensed collections.
- Don’t send in-kind donations such as clothes, food or supplies unless specifically requested by the charity. Cash donations are far more effective and logistically feasible.
- Don’t assume bigger means better. Smaller community-led initiatives often work with a deep understanding of needs on the ground. Similarly, don’t assume that larger and international organisations don’t need your support, because they rely heavily on public funding to sustain critical and large-scale operations; they also provide resources for local partner organisations on the ground.
- Be mindful of other funders. Coordinate with other donors and funders. It can help make your contribution more effective and you can maximise the impact of your interventions by collaborating. Make sure you are complementing efforts and not duplicating them.
- Go beyond the dollars. Use your influence and advocate within your community, your writing skills to author an article, or your home to host or sponsor refugee families. The point is that everyone has something to give, whether its their time, money, or other resources – find out what the affected community needs, what you can offer, and the most effective ways to support them.
The regional response
Governments, charities and philanthropic organisations from across the Gulf region have long provided financial and development support for Palestine and it’s no surprise that they have been at the forefront of the response to this latest crisis.
In addition to the billions mobilised by governments, there has been a wide outpouring of support from the grassroots communities, with people of all ages and nationalities turning up in large numbers to volunteer to pack aid parcels and host local fundraisers.
In the UAE, the ‘Tarahum for Gaza’ campaign was launched in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Community Development and the Emirates Red Crescent in collaboration with the World Food Programme and 20 charitable institutions in the UAE. During the campaign, more than 24,000 volunteers came together to prepare 71,000 relief packages containing food, medical supplies, and essential items.
To date, the UAE has dispatched seven aid ships carrying 13,190 tonnes of relief supplies and conducted 329 air flights, including 50 airdrops, delivering over 33,000 tonnes of urgent supplies to Gaza. Additionally, an Emirati 200-bed field hospital established inside Gaza has treated more than 51,000 patients and launched a prosthetic limb programme for amputees.
The UAE has also delivered more than 750 tonnes of medical supplies and power generators for local hospitals, supported a polio vaccination campaign reaching more than 640,000 children, and deployed a 100-bed floating hospital to Arish, Egypt, to provide emergency healthcare to more than 10,000 people.
In addition, the country has evacuated more than 2,000 Palestinian children and cancer patients to the UAE where they are now receiving specialised treatment.
Dubai Cares, an initiative of the Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiatives, also launched its own series of fundraising campaigns and partnered with Anera to distribute food baskets and shelter tents through local networks in Gaza. During in 2024, its ‘Gaza in Our Hearts’ campaign raised $4.3m, enabling the distribution of 253,984 hot meals, 37,813 food baskets, and 704 emergency shelter tents in partnership with Anera.
Meanwhile, in Sharjah, The Big Heart Foundation launched its ‘For Gaza’ campaign in collaboration with the Palestinian Taawon Welfare Association to provide essential support to orphaned children in Gaza. As of February 2025, TBHF had raised $7.1m and delivered critical aid to more than 11,000 orphaned children.
Saudi Arabia has Sahem, a platform launched by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) to collect charitable donations through secure payment channels. In November 2023, KSrelief launched a dedicated fundraising campaign for Gaza through the Sahem platform to provide support for Palestinians in Gaza through the procurement of essential food, medical and shelter supplies. Since its launch, the campaign has raised more than $165m from contributions from across the Kingdom. The funds have been allocated to various critical humanitarian efforts in Gaza including partnerships with key organisations such as UNRWA, WHO and WFP to deliver food aid, shelter, medical supplies, and support for displaced people. KSrelief also signed a $10m agreement with ICRC for hospital support, medical staff deployment, and supplying ambulances and intensive care equipment, while also addressing access to clean water and raising awareness about explosive hazards. And in cooperation with UNICEF, KSrelief has also implemented Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) projects aimed at emergency water supply and hygiene kit distribution to internally displaced persons.
The ‘Fazaa for Palestine’ campaign is coordinated by the Kuwaiti Union of Charitable Societies and Foundations with 23 Kuwaiti charities overseeing the campaign’s fundraising, logistics and coordination for the delivery of essential relief to Gaza. Since its inception, more than 50 flights of aid including essential food, medical supplies, shelter materials have been dispatched from Kuwait to Gaza and national medical teams have also been deployed to support with emergency care.
Under the umbrella of the Qatar Aid initiative, Qatari organisations including Qatar Red Crescent Society, Qatar Charity and the Qatar Fund for Development have launched numerous fundraising campaigns and facilitated the transportation and delivery of large amounts of essential relief, food, shelter and medical supplies to Gaza, in coordination with the Palestine Red Cresent Society, the Palestinian Ministry of Health and IFRC.
Between October 2023 and late 2024, the Qatar Red Crescent Society coordinated the delivery of more than 4,766 tonnes of aid to Gaza via 116 aircraft and maritime shipments, and in January 2025, Qatar sent its first land-based shipment of 2,600 tonnes of humanitarian aid through the newly established corridor through Jordan and the Erez crossing. In addition to emergency relief efforts, Qatar Charity has developed a comprehensive humanitarian and development plan for Gaza. This strategy was discussed at the 9th Effective Partnership Conference for Better Humanitarian Relief in Kuwait, aimed at mobilising resources for effective response and reconstruction. The total cost of these planned projects is estimated at approximately $120m, covering life-saving interventions, shelter, healthcare, education, and economic empowerment programmes.
The Royal Humanitarian Foundation in Bahrain, in collaboration with Kaaf Humanitarian and the Bahrain National Committee for Supporting the Palestinian People in Gaza, has provided ambulances, mobile clinics and medical supplies for critically wounded people in Gaza. The Foundation has also been coordinating aid shipments and medical support for Gaza with the Bahrain Red Crescent Society as well as the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization.
The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization has launched several national campaigns to mobilise health and humanitarian assistance for Gaza in partnership with organizations like Tkiyet Um Ali, Taawon Welfare Association and Project HOPE. Campaigns include ‘Restoring Hope’ in support of amputees, ‘Campaign to Support University Students from Gaza’, and the ‘For You Gaza’ initiative, delivering life-saving assistance and food items to impacted families in Gaza. As of January 2025, the organisation has delivered nearly 73,000 tonnes of aid to Gaza, benefiting approximately 1.4 million people.
In Egypt, leading NGOs such as Misr El Kheir Foundation and Islamic Relief Worldwide have been coordinating humanitarian and development support for Gaza and displaced Palestinians in Egypt. A digital initiative, ‘Connecting Humanity’, has been providing internet access and enabling connectivity during blackouts to families, healthcare and aid workers, journalists and volunteers in Gaza through donations of eSIMS.
UN and iNGOs
International agencies such as UNRWA, UNICEF, WFP, ICRC, Save the Children International, and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) remain indispensable in responding to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, delivering life-saving aid amid enormous challenges. Their scale of operations is massive, but so are the obstacles, including substantial funding gaps, severe access restrictions, shortages, infrastructure destruction, and grave security risks to their own staff. Still, their efforts continue to play a crucial role in addressing the devastating needs of Gaza’s affected population.
UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) is the largest humanitarian agency operating in Gaza, and remains the backbone of the response, having delivered over half of all emergency aid since the war began in October 2023. As of May 2025, the Agency continues to serve nearly 1.5 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, operating health clinics and dozens of shelters despite severe infrastructure damage. Border closures, access restrictions, and fuel shortages have repeatedly disrupted essential services such as water pumping and healthcare, forcing temporary suspensions.
UNRWA itself has also suffered immense losses, with 310 staff killed, 311 facilities damaged, and 850 security incidents reported. Since the onset of the war, UNRWA has sheltered nearly 400,000 displaced people across more than 100 converted facilities, provided food assistance to 1.9 million people, and delivered mental health and psychosocial support to 730,000 individuals, including more than 520,000 children. It has also facilitated 63 percent of all primary health consultations in Gaza, delivering 8.1 million consultations in total through a limited number of operational and mobile health centres. Additionally, UNRWA has ensured access to clean water for over 600,000 people. Despite overwhelming challenges, UNRWA continues to lead the humanitarian response under extraordinary pressure.
UNICEF (UN Children’s Fund) has reached approximately one-third of Gaza's population with essential services and supplies since October 2023, despite facing significant operational challenges. It has supported more than 250,000 people with medical supplies, treated more than 9,000 children for acute malnutrition in 2025 alone, and screened over 33,500 children under two. UNICEF has been providing safe water to 1.8 million people monthly, and has delivered water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) supplies to over 638,000 individuals. Its psychosocial services have reached more than 314,000 people, including 208,000 children, and over 210,000 children have received education support. In March 2025, nearly 20,000 families received cash assistance to meet urgent needs. Despite these efforts, aid blockades since March have deepened shortages of food, water, and medicine, leaving over a million children in crisis.
WFP (UN World Food Programme) has been striving to meet the critical food needs of the people in Gaza, and by early 2025, it had reached approximately 1 million people with aid including food parcels, hot meals, fresh bread, and cash support. This was done through the delivery of more than 30,000 metric tonnes of food into the Strip, more than doubling the monthly average of 12,500 metric tonnes in the latter half of 2024. WFP has also supported the operation of 25 bakeries, providing subsidised flour and bread to alleviate hunger.However, as the situation deteriorated sharply following the blockade of aid in March, WFP announced on 24 April that it depleted its last food stocks to support hot meals kitchens for families in Gaza, forcing the organisation to cease distributions. The cessation of aid has had devastating consequences, with reports indicating that an alarming 71,000 children and more than 17,000 mothers in Gaza will need urgent treatment for acute malnutrition.
ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) - in partnership with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, the Norwegian Red Cross, and thirteen other National Societies - established a 60-bed field hospital in Rafah, which has treated more than 80,240 patients. These have included children recovering from shrapnel wounds and burns, mothers surviving childbirth against overwhelming odds, and fathers regaining mobility after surgery. The ICRC also has supported the Palestine Red Crescent to deliver emergency medical services after the killing of PRCS staff and damage to key facilities and ambulances. Beyond healthcare, the ICRC has facilitated the release and transfer of hostages and detainees between Gaza and Israel, provided some 5,400 cubic meters of clean water to more than 115,000 people, and supplied 56,900 litres of fuel to keep critical water and health services running. However, as with other organisations, the blockade of aid since March 2025 has resulted in acute shortages of food, medicine, and essential supplies.
Save the Children, working with partners, has reached around 1.5 million people in Gaza since the Israeli bombing began in October 2023. During the humanitarian pause between January and March 2025, Save the Children was able to provide lifesaving aid to more than 51,000 people, distributing winter clothing, food parcels, and vaccinating some 1,300 children against polio. The iNGO operates two primary healthcare centres, maintaining services in Deir Al-Balah where nearly 80,000 patients, including almost 30,000 children, have been treated for common illnesses and maternal health needs. Nutrition support includes screening and treating malnutrition and providing supplements to mothers. Save the Children’s WASH programmes, meanwhile, have delivered 12,488 cubic meters of clean water and hygiene supplies across Gaza. Despite escalating challenges, including the killing of staff members and the collapse of the humanitarian pause, the Save continues to deliver essential child protection, mental health, education, and cash assistance services to thousands of displaced families.
Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has more than 1,000 staff working in Gaza’s hospitals, clinics, and facilities, including its field hospital in Deir al-Balah and clinic in Gaza City. MSF has been supporting numerous hospitals across Gaza, as well as several facilities in Rafah. In early 2025, MSF conducted more than 82,000 primary healthcare consultations, with nearly 20 percent linked to water and hygiene related conditions such as scabies. It also distributed more than 60 million litres of clean water and produced 7.8 million litres through desalination between January and April. Since the blockade began, the organisation’s food, fuel, and medical stocks have been depleted, forcing MSF to suspend or scale back several of its operations. MSF has lost a number of staff members amid escalating violence. Before the aid blockade in March 2025, MSF delivered more than 636 tonnes of supplies from international centres, but critical equipment like generators, desalination stations, oxygen concentrators, and vehicles remain difficult to get into Gaza, severely limiting operations and staff safety.
Frontline NGOs
Amid constraints to humanitarian access, smaller organisations and community-led initiatives have been stepping up to provide relief to those in need. Some efforts are led by local volunteers and medical staff operating in near-impossible conditions, while others are supported by diaspora-led or regional organisations that enable frontline response. Together, they form a crucial network of aid delivery in Gaza, and it is essential that the international community help these actors sustain their services in the face of the current crisis in humanitarian operations.
Anera (American Near East Refugee Aid), a US-based nonprofit established in 1968, has a deep-rooted presence in the region, including Gaza. All of Anera’s staff in the Middle East come from the communities they serve, bringing invaluable local knowledge, long-standing relationships, and the ability to navigate complex political and logistical landscapes. Anera has played an active role in responding to the ongoing war and displacement in Gaza, coordinating directly with community-based organisations to deliver food, medical supplies, hygiene kits, and clean water, often reaching areas that other international actors struggled to access. In early 2024, Anera was among the first to restore damaged water infrastructure and establish makeshift sanitation systems for displaced families. The organisation's locally rooted model enables it to respond quickly and effectively, while also investing in long-term recovery and development. Programs are designed with and by communities, from rooftop gardens that help families grow food amid bombardment to feeding initiatives that employ local women trained in past Anera programmes.
Gaza Soup Kitchen is a grassroots community-led initiative launched in early 2024 in Beit Lahia, Gaza, by brothers Hani and Mahmoud Almadhoun in response to the growing threat of famine during the war in Gaza. While Mahmoud, oversaw operations on the ground, Hani, based in Virginia (where he serves as Director of Philanthropy for UNRWA USA), has been working to mobilise support and awareness from abroad. “The initiative was born out of love, urgency and resilience,” explains Hani. “What began with a single pot of food that was meant to nourish the neighbourhood and extended family quickly grew into a lifeline for tens of thousands”. Over time, the kitchen expanded to serve multiple areas across Gaza, and the team was serving approximately 30,000 people daily through open-air kitchens run from courtyards, bombed-out homes, and makeshift cooking spaces built from rubble. On November 30, 2024, Mahmoud was tragically killed in an Israeli drone strike while on duty. While his loss devastated the team, it also inspired them to carry on his legacy. Despite tremendous challenges, the Gaza Soup Kitchen continues to stand as a powerful example of grassroots efforts and relief in a time of profound crisis.
The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children’s Fund, initiated by the renowned British-Palestinian Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah, was established in January 2024 by a group of multidisciplinary professionals in Lebanon to provide advanced medical care to children wounded in war in Gaza and Lebanon. The Fund transports critically injured children with their caretaker from Gaza to Lebanon where they receive surgical, psychological and social care, and also provides holistic care for children suffering from war injuries in Lebanon. In addition to urgent medical treatment, the Fund also offers long-term rehabilitation, including reconstructive surgeries and psychosocial support to help children regain their quality of life. It provides free medical, psychological, social, and educational support services tailored to the needs of children affected by conflict. In June 2024, six-year-old Adam Afana who lost his family and almost lost his left arm in an Israeli airstrike, was the first Palestinian child from Gaza to receive treatment by GASCF in Lebanon. He also received psychological care which has been crucial in his recovery. “Psychological trauma is the invisible wound of these children,” explains Dania Dandashli, psychologist, co-founder and board member of GASCF. “It will mark them for life.” Through its work , the Fund aims not only to address immediate medical needs but also to support the overall recovery and reintegration of war-affected children into their communities.
HEAL Palestine is a US-based nonprofit founded in January 2024 by Steve Sosebee, who previously set up the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (see below) in 1991, to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza at that time. The organisation is dedicated to supporting Palestinian children and youth through a holistic, grassroots approach, and a mission centered on providing comprehensive care that includes health, education, relief and development. In response to the ongoing war in Gaza, HEAL has been instrumental in delivering critical support to children with severe injuries and amputations, many of whom lack access to adequate treatment in the region. The organisation has facilitated the evacuation and medical care of numerous injured children, while also operating a field hospital, mental health programs, and food distribution initiatives on the ground. At 19, Farah lost her right leg and eye after a bombing destroyed her relatives’ home in Gaza. She also required surgery to repair multiple fractures in her hand. Through HEAL Palestine’s Global Healing Programme, Farah recently received a prosthetic eye and is steadily recovering. Her story reflects hope and renewal in the face of profound trauma.
INARA (International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance), a US-based nonprofit founded by Syrian-American journalist and former CNN Senior Foreign Correspondent Arwa Damon in 2015 after bearing witness to the suffering of children in warzones, has been running its rapid response intervention in Gaza since the start of the war in October 2023. The response is aimed at supporting people in Gaza as well as evacuees in Egypt and Turkey. With a particular focus on addressing medical and mental health needs, the organisation is providing medical case management and care coordination including pre- and post-operative care and rehabilitation for injured children evacuated from Gaza to Egypt and Turkey. INARA staff and caseworkers are also running clinics and recreational spaces, as well as distributing food and hygiene items to impacted people inside Gaza. Additionally, shelter and housing are being provided for evacuated and stranded families.
Medical Aid for Palestinians is a UK-based organisation that has provided direct medical aid and health support in Palestine, including Gaza, since 1984. MAP operates local teams on the ground, delivering essential medical supplies, supporting hospitals, and running mobile clinics. During the current Gaza war, MAP has been actively responding to the escalating health crisis by dispatching emergency medical teams (EMTs) comprised of international doctors, nurses, and specialists who provide critical emergency care and surgeries. Their teams work alongside Palestinian health workers to treat those injured in the conflict and to support overwhelmed hospitals struggling with shortages of supplies, personnel, and infrastructure damage. MAP has also coordinated the delivery of vital medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, ensuring frontline healthcare facilities remain operational despite severe constraints caused by the blockade and ongoing hostilities. Their work exemplifies a crucial frontline response, filling gaps where larger agencies face restrictions, and reaching vulnerable communities with timely, specialised medical support.
Palestinian Medical Relief Society is one of the longest standing health-focused organisations in the occupied Palestinian territories. Founded by a group of volunteer doctors and health professionals in 1979, it has evolved into a vital provider of community-based healthcare, especially in hard-to-reach areas. In Gaza, PMRS is offering urgent medical assistance to help people who are injured or displaced by the bombardment. When hospitals are overwhelmed or inaccessible, PMRS steps in to provide first aid and transports patients, linking them to the few functioning medical facilities still open. PMRS has also been operating mobile clinics in coordination with Medical Aid to Palestinians (MAP) to reach communities cut off due to road closures and security risks. These clinics provide essential healthcare services, including vaccinations and treatment for chronic illnesses. Despite facing challenges such as roadblocks and threats from settlers, PMRS staff have continued their missions.
Palestine Red Crescent Society has been at the forefront of emergency medical response in Gaza throughout the ongoing conflict, with nearly 1,600 staff and volunteers working to provide life-saving support. As of May 2025, PRCS teams had distributed 1.6 million emergency relief items, and provided emergency medical support to more than 100,000 injured people. Despite facing significant challenges such as fuel shortages, which have reduced their ambulance fleet to one-third of its capacity, PRCS continues to deliver lifesaving assistance. Their operations have likewise been hindered by the destruction of medical facilities like Al Amal and Al Quds hospitals, and the loss of 28 staff members in the line of duty. PRCS relies heavily on external support to sustain its operations, and funding from voluntary contributions are crucial for procuring fuel, medical supplies and maintaining ambulance services. PRCS's commitment to serving vulnerable populations under dire circumstances underscores the importance of supporting local organisations that possess the agility and dedication to respond effectively amidst ongoing hostilities
Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) has been providing medical support to children in the Middle East, with an active presence in Gaza since it was set up in 1991. Throughout this war, PCRF has been delivering critical aid and coordinating specialised medical interventions for children and families in Gaza. Despite significant challenges due to the blockade and infrastructural damages, including the severe damage to the Dr. Musa and Suhaila Nasir Paediatric Cancer Department, PCRF has continued its operations with a focus on medical care, food distribution, and support for children with cancer. Since October 2023, the the PCRF has facilitated the evacuation of 169 injured and sick children from Gaza, ensuring they receive necessary medical treatment abroad. Additionally, PCRF has been instrumental in coordinating and delivering urgent medical relief through its volunteer medical teams and local healthcare partners. This includes supplying hospitals and clinics with essential medications, consumables, and equipment under siege conditions. For example, in April 2024, PCRF supported the successful completion of the first surgery in the newly established fourth operating room at Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza, expanding surgical capacity for patients in dire need. The Fund recently began efforts to restore critical services, including chemotherapy treatment and the establishment of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), aiming to continue providing essential care to children battling cancer. PCRF has also partnered with organisations like Anera and World Central Kitchen to fund 800,000 hot meals for displaced Gazans, demonstrating the effectiveness of targeted interventions and collaborative approaches to crisis response.
Looking ahead
Emergency supplies are urgently needed to keep people in Gaza alive. But it will take decades to rebuild the territory and the communities within it. The devastation in Gaza is not only physical, its generational; families have been torn apart, entire communities face uncertainty of rebuilding from nothing, and children have lost access to education. With nearly 95 percent of schools in Gaza destroyed, UNICEF reports that 660,000 children are out of school as of May 2025, and 90,000 students have had their higher education suspended because of the destruction of Gaza’s universities. (University World News, 2025).
With nearly all infrastructure decimated and 90 percent of the population displaced, the road to recovery will stretch for years. Long-term support is essential, not only to rebuild what has been lost, but to invest in resilience and opportunities that can sustain lives beyond emergency relief. This means ensuring access to education, health and mental health support, orphan sponsorship, and economic empowerment for a generation of children and youth growing up in conflict. Funding the future is about restoring stability, hope, opportunity and a dignified future.
Below is a selection of some of the initiatives looking to do just that.
The Technical Education Support for Higher Education Students Initiative (TESI) is a large-scale e-learning initiative launched by An-Najah National University in Nablus to ensure students can continue their studies remotely. In partnership with UNIMED and the Palestinian Student Scholarship Fund, the initiative is aimed reaching displaced students across Gaza. The programme offers access to more than 200 courses taught by a network of 500 volunteer professors and lecturers from around the world. Nearly 47,000 students have already registered. The initiative also includes psychosocial support, addressing the deep trauma students and their families are carrying. At its core, the programme aims to retain Gaza’s academic and professional talent, seeing education not only as a right, but as a foundation for recovery and long-term resilience.
Taawon Welfare Association, one of Palestine’s largest developmental organizations, has been at the forefront of long-term recovery and development efforts in Gaza. With a focus on education, orphan care, psychosocial support, and cultural preservation, Taawon’s programs aim to rebuild lives and communities with dignity. In response to the devastating impact of the ongoing war in Gaza, Taawon, in partnership with the Bank of Palestine Group and eight local organizations, launched the third phase of its "Noor" orphan care program. The initiative aims to provide comprehensive support to 20,000 children who lost one or both parents in the war. With a goal to raise an estimated budget of $377m, the programme, offering monthly and annual sponsorship options, ensures orphans receive sustained assistance in healthcare, education, psychosocial services, and vocational training. By January 2025, more than 16,000 orphans had already benefited from the programme. Taawon continues to play a pivotal role in supporting education across Palestine and Palestinian refugee camps, with investments in scholarships, school rehabilitation, and digital learning initiatives that aim to strengthen educational opportunities for future generations.
Qatar’s Education Above All Foundation (EAA) has been actively supporting Palestinian students from Gaza through its Al Fakhoora and Qatar Scholarship Programmes. In May 2024, EAA, in partnership with the Qatar Fund for Development and Birzeit University, announced the allocation of 927 full scholarships for Palestinian students for the 2023-2024 academic year. These scholarships include a support package covering tuition fees, academic services, and essential student needs to ensure educational continuity. In addition to emergency scholarships for Gaza students, Education Above All’s broader initiatives include partnerships with universities such as Birzeit University and Al-Quds Bard College, which provide scholarships and academic opportunities to Palestinian students across the region. These programmes support higher education access beyond the immediate crisis, contributing to the long-term development of Palestinian youth.
ElNajjar Joudah Foundation (EJF), in collaboration with the Gaza Scholarship Initiative, has been providing critical financial assistance to displaced Palestinian students pursuing higher education in the US and abroad, in response to the war in Gaza. Founded by Palestinian-American siblings Ali and Ghada ElNajjar, originally from Gaza, the foundation offers support for tuition, travel, housing, and living expenses. While the Gaza Scholarship Initiative – a volunteer-led initiative under the Center for Arab American Philanthropy – coordinates scholarship placements and academic partnerships, EJF serves as a direct channel for donor support, helping ensure educational continuity for students uprooted by the war. In 2024, the Gaza Scholarship Initiative collaborated with over 300 Palestinian students from Gaza, successfully matching 124 students with scholarships at 35 different institutions across 10 countries for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Friends of Birzeit University (Fobzu) supports students across the occupied Palestinian territories, currently focusing on Gaza and the West Bank. In partnership with UNRWA, Fobzu offers targeted scholarships for Palestinian refugee students registered with UNRWA, helping cover tuition fees for undergraduate degrees at universities like Birzeit University. Scholarship recipients are selected through rigorous processes based on academic merit and financial need, overseen by UNRWA’s Scholarship Advisory Committees and Birzeit University’s Financial Aid Unit. These scholarships are a vital source of hope and educational continuity for young Palestinians growing up under occupation and amid war. Fobzu’s programs also include endowed and sponsored scholarships funded by donors, reinforcing their commitment to empowering Palestinian youth through education. By supporting students on the ground, Fobzu and UNRWA respond directly to the immediate crisis in Gaza and the broader challenges facing Palestinian refugees, ensuring access to higher education despite harsh conditions.
In addition to scholarship initiatives, several local organisations in Palestine are also driving long-term change by building the capacity of youth and women. The Save Youth Future Society (SYFS), based in Gaza since 2001, focuses on improving the economic resilience of young Palestinians through vocational training, job placement, and support for youth-led enterprises. Similarly, the Palestinian Charity for Youth Economic Empowerment (CYEE) works with 17 grassroots organizations in Tulkarem, Jenin, Ramallah and the West Bank including East Jerusalem to support youth and women through capacity-building and entrepreneurship programs, mentorship, psychosocial support, and safe spaces for engagement. These locally led initiatives remain vital in the face of current challenges, ensuring that the future of Palestinians is shaped by those within the community.
The Gaza Embraced Solutions for Emergency, Resilience, Rehabilitation (GESER) is an initiative by Giving Circles - MENA designed to foster collaborative and locally driven solutions for Gaza's post-conflict recovery. Launched in March 2025, GESER aims to bring together development experts, civil society leaders, and philanthropic organizations to develop practical strategies addressing immediate humanitarian needs and long-term reconstruction efforts in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Priority areas include temporary sheltering, integration of essential services such as water, sanitation, hygiene, protection, and mental health support, and the development of sustainable recovery plans, the strategies draw lessons from similar post-disaster contexts such as the earthquake response in Hatay, Turkey. The initiative offers an innovative example of locally driven and regionally connected humanitarian plannings.
More on responsible giving in an emergency:
For more about how educational institutions are supporting Gazan students, listen to this episode of The Impact Room podcast featuring: Dr Saida Affouneh, An Najah's dean of the Faculty of Education; Dr Ihab Nasr, the Dean of Applied Medical Sciences at Al Alzhar University; and Professor Mahmoud Loubani, a UK-based cardiothoracic surgeon and chair of PalMed Academy, a branch of PalMed Europe, which promotes better healthcare for Palestinians at home and overseas.
