* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Appeal
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Follow on Appeal – Gaza and West Bank – PSE111 – revision 2
Appeal Target: US$ 3'013'748
Balance Requested: US$ 687'008
Geneva, 10 November 2011
The Gaza blockade since 2006 is considered a denial of basic human rights in contravention of international law and amounts to collective punishment. The blockade severely restricts imports and exports, as well as the movement of people in and out of Gaza, and access to agricultural land and fishing waters. Gazans are unable to provide for their families and the quality of infrastructure and vital services has deteriorated.
Thousands of people, some of them children, risk their lives smuggling goods through the tunnels under the border with Egypt every day. The thriving tunnel industry is a direct result of ongoing restrictions on the import of construction materials, the lack of employment opportunities, and the huge reconstruction needs in Gaza. Gazans remain isolated and cut off from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory.
ACT Alliance members have been responding to this crisis since 2008, and have created the ACT Palestine Forum (APF) in order to coordinate their work and to use resources in the most effective and efficient way. Since its inception, APF has been engaged in a range of activities including: improving the coordination and cooperation between member organisations, conducting needs assessments, emergency preparedness planning, conducting evaluations, capacity building activities, strategic planning, and setting up an advocacy strategy.
ACT Alliance members in Palestine (DSPR, LWF, DCA, ELCJHL and NCA) have requested funds through the appeal PSE111, issued on 15 April 2011, to implement activities in the sectors of health, poverty-reduction, advocacy, education, psychosocial support, and coordination. Revision 1 of the appeal was issued on 14 October 2011 to incorporate additional capacity building elements and training activities into the community wellbeing component of the appeal and to slightly revise the budget for the NCA – Al Ahli Hospital component. The Forum has, at the same time, reduced the budget related to psycho-social interventions and staff salaries.
This second revision on hand reflects changes in the budget for MECC-DSPR e.g. purchase of medical equipments (page 17-18). For your ease of reference, the revised/added elements in the narrative are indicated in italics while the budget has a separate column for the revised financial figures.
