Offering life-saving intervention and vital emotional support (OLIVE)

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 January 2026, more than 71,000 people had been reported killed and over 170,000 injured, while more than 1.4 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.

The psychosocial and mental health burden is profound. With hundreds of thousands killed or wounded, widespread displacement, destruction of homes, schools, and community networks, and pervasive insecurity, the emotional toll across Gaza is immense. For many survivors, especially children, people with disabilities, and amputees, long-term rehabilitation, psychosocial care, and stable support systems are urgently needed, but humanitarian resources remain limited.

Caritas Switzerland, in partnership with Caritas Jerusalem, aims to provide Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) to enable vulnerable families to meet their most urgent needs with regard to food, shelter, water, medicine, basic items, and hygiene, with flexibility and dignity. The cash transfers will be conducted through mobile money.

Due to additional high health needs, the project design also includes the provision of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services for children, responding to the identified high need for psychological support among people living in Gaza.

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 enable families to prioritize their needs safely while mitigating liquidity challenges through digital transactions.

Psychosocial support for children will prioritize individuals exhibiting elevated distress levels, particularly children from households that have been displaced multiple times. Services will be delivered through a combination of community-based psychosocial activities, structured group sessions, and individual counselling, ensuring accessibility for children regardless of their shelter conditions or mobility limitations.