Occupied Palestinian Territories
HelpAge began working in Gaza, occupied Palestinian territories (oPt), in 2009 to support older people affected by the December 2008-January 2009 conflict.
During the conflict, more than 1,300 people were killed, 3,500 injured and 100,000 displaced. Healthcare facilities, infrastructure and farmland were damaged and essential services were disrupted.
What are we doing to help?
Immediate response
Immediately after the conflict, we distributed food to older people and gave them psychosocial support. We also helped older people to restore their livelihoods and earn an income. For example, we worked with local partners to remove rubble from farmland so that 80 older farmers were able to plant crops again.
Pyschosocial support
Many older people in the oPt have been traumatised by daily attacks and violent conflict during the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza strip. With our partner El Wedad Society for Community Rehabilitation, we have organised counselling and recreational trips to help these older people recover.
Combating isolation
As we set up the programme, we realised there was a lack of knowledge about older people and their needs in Gaza and the West Bank. Since April 2009 therefore, we have been surveying older people to fill this knowledge gap.
We found that one of the main problems older people face is social isolation. In response to this, we are working to ensure that older people are visible within their communities. This includes working with El Wedad to produce public service announcements for TV and radio (click play to watch).
Strengthening communities
We are also including younger generations in our work to strengthen community networks. We are working in schools and involving children by designing posters, conducting plays about older people's needs and the best way to communicate with older people.
To further build relationships between generations, we participated in an event with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, Face to Faith. A spokesperson and Age Demands Action leader, Mr Shehada discussed ideas of how younger generations can support older people with schoolchildren from around the world.
The difference we've made
So far we have:
- Improved older people's confidence through home visits, physiotherapy sessions and providing wheelchairs, walking frames and sticks and eye glasses.
- Provided over 660 people with individual and group psychosocial support sessions, enabling them to strengthen their relationships with their families and each other.
- Organised recreational trips for over 600 older people. This improved their mental wellbeing by giving them a break from their stressful living conditions.
- Raised awareness of older people's issues and contributions through sessions with partners, older people, their relatives, medical staff and local schools. We have also had three radio and two TV spots, distributed 5,000 brochures and run competitions in four schools to further raise awareness.
- Provided mobility and other aids to around 300 people, such as diabetes testing kits, eye glasses, food parcels. We also distributed other essential items, such as blankets and hygiene kits during the Disaster Emergencies Committee's emergency response project.
- Provided a further 160 older people with food parcels and other essential items, such as clothes and hygiene products.
What next?
In May 2011, HelpAge started a partnership with the Palestinian organisation, Palestinian Centre for Communication & Development Strategies (PCCDS), to assess older people's needs in the West Bank. An assessment has been carried out in the Hebron area and further work is ongoing in East Jerusalem.
