Emergency and humanitarian interventions

Drawing on a quarter century of experience in mobilizing and engaging communities for collaborative action and its extensive network of experienced volunteers, CFTA adopts a community- and youth-led approach to its emergency and humanitarian interventions. CFTA also utilizes information issued by the UN, ministries and INGOs and coordinates with relevant clusters to strengthen its emergency responsiveness. Affected communities engage in the planning for and distribution of essential humanitarian aid through ongoing consultations in the form of focus groups, regular community meetings, and field visits from CFTA’s staff.

The protracted crisis conditions in the Gaza Strip have obliged CFTA to prioritize psychosocial support services. A group of qualified CFTA staff use drama therapy, expressive arts, counselling and referrals, cultural and recreational activities and trips to protect and restore the well-being of children and mothers. These activities are also provided to young people across our programs as an integral part of our commitment to building bridges of trust and communication between boys and girls, promoting a positive atmosphere characterized by cooperation and support amongst adolescents more generally and strengthening healthy social relations built on understanding and acceptance of the other. 

During and following the most recent war on Gaza in the summer of 2014, CFTA was able to extend its outreach to new areas in need. CFTA was able to provide humanitarian aid to 9,500 of the affected people within a limited period of time;  rapid needs assessments ensured that assistance was responsive to people’s needs and requirements. Emergency distributions included food vouchers, hygiene kits, water tanks, lights, heaters, blankets, plastic covers, kitchenware, mattresses, and clothes. CFTA also intensified its psychosocial support activities inside and outside its centers reaching more than 24,000 people. Psychosocial support activities, including counseling, drama and arts, and recreation, were implemented inside its own centers, as well as in emergency shelters and neighbourhoods. In response to a request from the Ministry of Education, CFTA also conducted open days in schools for close to 7,000 children to help prepare them for starting the new school semester.

Given the volatile environment in which it works and the likelihood of renewed escalations within the context of long-term, chronic emergency, CFTA is giving special attention to enhancing its emergency preparedness and strengthening its efforts to support community resilience in the coming years. CFTA’s humanitarian work is rooted in its commitment to ensuring people’s inclusion, dignity and participation at all stages of an intervention. In light of this commitment, all of CFTA’s emergency interventions are supported by advocacy activities related to the crises.