Jerusalem / West Bank / Gaza
| Overview The State of Israel and the Palestinian Territories (the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem) are located in the Middle East on or near the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Israel is bordered by Egypt to the southwest, Jordan to the east, Lebanon to the north, and Syria to the northeast. The West Bank is located to the east of Israel and to the west of Jordan, while the Gaza Strip sits to the southwest, bordering Egypt. The region contains low coastal plains, central mountain ranges, a rugged dissected upland plateau in the east, and the Negev Desert in the south of Israel. The climate is temperate, with hot summers and mild winters. Natural resources include timber, copper, natural gas, clay, and sand for Israel, and arable land for the West Bank. More than 99 percent of the Gaza Strip is populated by Palestinian Arabs. Most of the people of the West Bank are Palestinians, with a small number of internationals also living there. There is a significant Israeli settler population in the West Bank as well. Three-quarters of people in Israel are Jews. Nearly 25 percent of Israelis are of Arab descent. In the Palestinian Territories, Arabic is the primary language spoken by the population, while many speak English and Hebrew as well. Armenian is spoken by the minority Armenian community. In Israel, Hebrew and Arabic are the two official languages; a significant portion also speak English or Russian. Over the last 5,000 years, many peoples have laid claim to the land occupied by present-day Israel and the Palestinian Territories, including the Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Jews, Macedonians, Persians, and Romans. Arabs took control of the region in the 7th century. Interrupted only by the Crusades (1099-1291), Muslims ruled the area until the 20th century. Jewish immigration increased in the 19th and 20th centuries joining the existing small Jewish community in Palestine and the indigenous Palestinian population. After World War II, the State of Israel was declared by the region’s Jewish inhabitants. Much of the Palestinians and the surrounding countries were opposed to this. As a result, war broke out. After a year, a ceasefire was declared and Jordan governed the West Bank, while Egypt administered the Gaza Strip. In 1967, Israel defeated Egyptian, Syrian, and Jordanian forces during the Six-Day War. A Palestinian uprising lasted from 1987 until 1993. With help from the international community, the Israeli and Palestinian leadership signed a peace treaty in 1993—the Oslo Accords—renewing hope for a peaceful resolution. Confidence eroded, however, during the late 1990s as both sides contributed to a breach of trust. At a Middle East peace conference in late 2007, there were renewed international efforts toward peace negotiations with the aim of brokering a final peace treaty by the end of December 2008. Palestinians have seen a significant regression of the economy in the past nine years due to Israeli government restrictions. Unemployment in the Gaza Strip is 35 percent. Nearly half of Palestinians in the West Bank live below the poverty line; it rises to 80 percent in Gaza. The continuous construction of a physical barrier, which is mainly within Palestinian land, has further deteriorated the economy, threatened food security, and adversely impacted access to education and health care. |  | Sponsor a Child from Jerusalem/West Bank/Gaza
this total climbs to 17% **Other sources indicate that the total is 83% for the West Bank and 41% for Gaza. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chronic malnutrition is high in the Palestinian Territories, affecting 10 percent of children under the age of 5 (which amounts to 50,000 children in the Gaza Strip). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Efforts by the government to improve health care have been hampered by border closures and a lack of funding. Many hospitals are operating on reduced capacity due to a shortage of medical supplies and outdated equipment. The lack of electricity in Gaza, due to an embargo on fuel, has left hospitals and sewage treatment facilities running on emergency diesel generators. World Vision’s Work World Vision began working in the region in 1975. A secondary school for boys was opened in Bethlehem that same year. The Babies Home project provided shelter for 60 orphaned and neglected children under the age of six in 1979. Projects active during this period included: • The Evangelical Lutheran School Project in Bethlehem provided social training and education for 350 children. • The Ahli Arab Hospital Project in Gaza assisted in replacing outdated medical equipment and improving surgical services. World Vision continued its work through a fully registered office, which was opened in 1988. By 1990, there were 37 projects and child sponsorship had grown to reach more than 4,000 children. The organization focused on improving the quality of education so that children could realize a better future for themselves and their society. The Ellis Development Project established a 24-acre farm to assist poor families. Cotton and wheat were cultivated and 150 sheep were raised. In addition, the Library on Wheels Project provided access to educational materials for more than 5,000 children in 45 villages in the West Bank. The number of sponsored children in both Israel and the Palestinian Territories increased from nearly 4,600 in 1991 to 8,600 in 1998. The number of projects during that time also grew to a total of 65. Some of the projects conducted in communities during the 1990s included: • The Mandela Institute was established to meet the needs of prisoners and their families, as well as to address prison conditions and rehabilitate former inmates. • The Guidance and Training Center Project benefited 1,000 children and adults through the provision of counseling, individual treatment, and family and group therapy. In the 21st century, World Vision has continued to focus on serving children and families. Typical programs include agricultural rehabilitation and food security, housing and school renovation, primary health-care services, water management, income generation and employment creation, and advocacy. Similar work has been carried out in Israel, but due to the strong economic system there World Vision has focused its efforts on areas that have the most severe poverty, i.e. the Palestinian Territories. World Vision in Jerusalem-West Bank-Gaza Today World Vision is committed to partnering with both Palestinians and Israelis to enhance their lives today and to help enact sustainable solutions for the future of their communities, families, and children. Currently, 25,000 children are registered in the World Vision sponsorship program. Several times this number of children and other family members benefit from World Vision activities. Of these registered children, many have World Vision sponsors in other countries. U.S. donors sponsor nearly 9,000 girls and boys. In addition, World Vision operates 14 development programs, three of which are supported by U.S. donors. There are 10 other projects that assist children with special needs. Highlights of these efforts include the following: • The Al-Majed Women’s Association Project provides vocational training in sewing, embroidery, knitting, cosmetics, hairdressing, and computer literacy. In addition, women are trained to manage small business enterprises and harness other rural sector employment opportunities. • The Chance for Childhood Project in the Gaza city of Rafah seeks to improve the availability of psychosocial programs for disabled and able-bodied boys and girls. Project leaders help to host an extracurricular program each week and one summer camp each year. Staff train parents to develop positive coping mechanisms and provide transportation for children to and from the therapy centers. More than 200 children—including 50 who are disabled—are benefitting from this project. In addition, World Vision supports the Parent’s Circle Family Forum, a vital peacebuilding initiative that brings bereaved family members from both sides together in an effort to reconcile and heal. For more information on World Vision’s programs in Jerusalem-West Bank-Gaza, please contact the U.S. office.
Unfortunately, at this time, online picture folders are not available from the Jerusalem/West Bank/Gaza region. You may still be able to sponsor a child there by submitting a special request. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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