Gaza Appeal

Gaza is facing a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportions.

People are starving and struggling to survive, as supplies of food, water, fuel and medicine are blocked by Israel. One hundred children have died from starvation and 96% of families do not have access to clean water.

Pregnant women and babies are especially at risk. Dr Salha of Al-Awda Hospital in Gaza describes conditions: “Malnutrition is devastating mothers and newborns. We’re seeing a sharp rise in caesarean sections, miscarriages and babies born underweight.

“There’s no formula, no milk. Supplies have run out. We are out of options, and we are running out of time. It has never been this bad.”

Fuel availability is still critically low, threatening to shut down lifesaving services including hospitals and sanitation networks.

Overcrowded shelters, limited access to clean water, poor sanitation and lack of food are contributing to weakened immunity, increased fatalities and a rise in diseases.

More than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed and 154,000 injured since the start of the conflict in October 2023.

ActionAid Palestine continues to provide life-saving supplies to people in Gaza, despite the blockade making aid operations extremely difficult. We are working with partners to distribute hygiene and dignity kits for women and girls, essential supplies for new mothers and infants, shelter items and psychosocial support to families in Gaza.

So far we have reached more than 464,000 people with humanitarian assistance in Gaza.

Your donation can help us reach more families.

Gaza crisis appeal: how can I help?

Or choose your own amount to give

Gaza crisis appeal: how can I help?

Or choose your own amount to give

What is ActionAid doing to help?

ActionAid is working with our partners in Gaza who are doing their utmost to provide food, hygiene and dignity kits, medical supplies and other essential items to families that we can reach, when we can do so safely.

We’re asking for your continued financial support, which is now needed more than ever, to help us deliver aid to more families.

We have reached more than 464,000 people with humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
An additional 558,206 people have also been supported with healthcare services by our partner Al-Awda.
70,000 people have been given health or medical support at Al Nuseirat hospital and in Rafah.
Around 291,916 people have been reached in total with food including hot meals, chickens, eggs, food parcels and vegetable baskets.
47,458 people have been provided with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services such as latrine facilities in Rafah.
15,400 people have received non-food items including 3,750 people who have received hygiene kits and 2,000 others supported with clothing in Rafah and Al Nuseirat.
5,500 children had access to education through Hope festivals in Rafah led by the humanitarian youth groups in Gaza.
2,130 people have been provided with shelter support, in Al Mawasi and Rafah, including tents, shade covers and tarpaulins.
4,559 women and children have been supported with protection services including interactive and wellbeing activities for children, and hotlines for women in Rafah and Khan Younis.
1,163 families in Gaza have received cash.
In the West Bank our partners are supporting people who have been internally displaced from Gaza. We've distributed dignity and winterisation kits across various districts. These include vital items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, shaving gel, razors, wet wipes, deodorant and towels.

Is humanitarian aid getting through to Gaza?

After restrictions on aid for many months, people in Gaza are in urgent need of food, water and medicine.

ActionAid staff and partners have been procuring relief items including food, non-food essential items, medical supplies and hygiene and dignity kits, delivering these where possible or having them ready to distribute when this can be done safely.

The quantity of relief supplies we are able to distribute will largely depend on the amount of funds we’re able to raise.

Clarification on Gaza statistic

An earlier version of our website included a statistic about women and children killed in Gaza that did not fully reflect the timeframe in the original Oxfam report. This was corrected and removed as soon as we became aware of the error. We remain committed to ensuring all our public statements are accurate and based on credible sources.

The full statement about this can be found here.

Why we are not responding in Israel

The attacks committed on Israeli civilians were appalling. They have led to a spiral of violence affecting thousands of civilians across the region. ActionAid has called for an end to the violence and for the respect of international law which applies to all parties involved.

Our decision to respond in any crisis is always driven by humanitarian need— prioritising those people, in particular women and girls, most in need of assistance, whilst considering our ability and capacity and those of others, including states, to meet that need.

Even before this latest conflict started, 80% of people living in Gaza relied on international aid following 16 years of blockade. Their coping capacities were stretched to the limit and beyond. Whilst there are humanitarian needs in Israel, our monitoring shows that the government and national and local aid organisations there are able to respond to these needs.

As a result, at this time our immediate focus is on responding to urgent unmet needs in Gaza and other affected parts of the occupied Palestinian territory. We continue to review this as the situation evolves.

ActionAid UK's chief executive, Halima Begum said:

Women and children are in critical need of safe shelter. While families want to return home, many have seen their houses completely destroyed and we have far too many vulnerable people still living in exposed spaces, without either security or protection.
The trauma and fear associated with the earthquake is also a huge impediment to the safe return of families. People here have experienced unimaginable tragedy and loss. Any recovery plan must include emotional support to help those affected by this disaster retrieve some degree of normality in their lives.
Of course, women and girls have very particular needs in emergencies that are far too often overlooked or forgotten, and we’re seeing this in Morocco now. In particular, access to period products and underwear is essential.
Much of the emergency response so far has focussed on food and temporary shelter, which are of course important. But the provision of period products would go a long way to help restore the dignity of women and girls still living in rudimentary and temporary shelters."

About ActionAid

ActionAid is an international charity that works with women and girls living in poverty.

Our dedicated local staff are changing the world with women and girls. We are ending violence and fighting poverty so that all women, everywhere, can create the future they want.

We operate in rural and urban communities across Asia, Africa and Latin America.

We're committed to ending the cycle of violence in communities around the world, enabling women's economic empowerment, and supporting women's and girls' rights during humanitarian crises.

Where your money goes

90% of your donation will go directly to ActionAid's Gaza Crisis Appeal.

10% of your donation will be retained for ActionAid’s Emergency Action Fund which will only be used for ensuring we are prepared and able to respond quickly and more effectively to future emergencies and crises.

If the total amount raised for this appeal exceeds the funds needed for the response, ActionAid will transfer the remaining balance to the Emergency Action Fund. All Gift Aid claimed on donations will fund ActionAid’s work across the world, wherever the need is greatest.