Gaza Emergency Response 2.0

finished

Since October 2023, Gaza has been experiencing one of the most severe humanitarian crises in its history. Two years of intense hostilities have devastated entire cities and forced almost the entire population to flee multiple times. By mid-October 2025, more than 67,900 people had been reported killed and over 170,000 injured, while more than 1.9 million people remain displaced. Homes, roads, water networks, markets and public services have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving families without the means to return to a normal life.

Necessities such as food, clean water, cooking gas, transport and household items are urgently needed, especially for families attempting to return to heavily damaged neighbourhoods with no belongings or income.

In this difficult situation, Caritas Switzerland (CACH), together with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Life and Hope Association (LHA), proposes a rapid emergency intervention. The focus is on immediate support for families returning to destroyed areas by providing flexible financial assistance to help them cover essential needs. The response pays special attention to the needs of women, elderly people, people with disabilities and families caring for chronically ill members.

Caritas Switzerland, in partnership with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Life and Hope Association (LHA), aims to strengthen the capacity of 820 highly vulnerable returnee internally displaced households to meet their immediate basic needs upon returning to devastated areas.

The project will deliver one round of unrestricted Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance aligned with Gaza Cash Working Group standards to ensure flexibility and dignity for families facing multiple urgent needs such as food, water, health, transport, rent and essential household items, or even to repay debts. Despite the complex market situation in Gaza, Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance has continuously proven to be the most dignified and effective modality to cover basic needs when markets function.

The project will increase households’ ability to cover essential expenditures and adapt to harsh living conditions caused by the destruction of shelter, markets and infrastructure. Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance is proven to be the most relevant and preferred modality, with 96% of previous recipients confirming its usefulness.

Cash transfers, delivered through mobile money or e-wallet mechanisms, enable families to prioritize needs safely while mitigating liquidity challenges through digital transactions. Targeting prioritizes female-headed households and households with persons with disabilities, chronic illness or elderly members, ensuring assistance reaches those facing the highest barriers.