UNFPA in Palestine

The Context in Palestine

Palestine is a country with enormous potential but faced with complex and interconnected political, humanitarian, demographic, and governance challenges resulting from the protracted crisis and ongoing occupation. These persistent challenges have been compounded by internal Palestinian political complexities, economic crisis, and falling aid inflows. Palestine deserves special attention and accelerated investments in sexual reproductive and maternal health, family planning, youth and women’s empowerment, gender equality, and human capital to harness the demographic dividend, contain fragility, and build more resilient communities, especially in the most vulnerable geographic locations such as Area C, Hebron H2, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

In 2022, the population of Palestine stood at 5.4 millions (3.2 millions in the West Bank, and 2.2 millions in the Gaza Strip). Despite a declining fertility rate, the population is projected to reach 6.9 million by 2030 due to a high growth rate. With 69% of the population under 30, Palestine is youthful but faces challenges.

A deeply protracted crisis: an estimated 2 .1 million Palestinians across the oPt require humanitarian assistance, representing 58% of Gaza residents and one quarter of West Bank residents.
Escalating Unmet Need: There has been a recent increase in the unmet need for family planning, rising from 10.9% to 12.9% in 2019.
Alarming Reversal: Major backsliding in maternal mortality rates since 2017, with the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) escalating from 28.5 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020 to a drastic 47.7 in 2021.
Persistent Challenges: The prevalence of violence against women and child marriage remains distressingly high, with 59% of women and girls experiencing at least one form of gender-based violence, and 13.4% of women aged 20–24 reporting being married before the age of 18.

At UNFPA Palestine, we are driven by the belief that every Palestinian deserves the right to a healthy and fulfilling life. Join us in our mission to create a brighter future for all Palestinians, where they have access to resources and support they need to reach their full potential

UNFPA Palestine is dedicated to promoting and protecting the sexual and reproductive rights and health of the Palestinian people. Our goal is to empower every Palestinian to make informed choices about their bodies and health. We believe in a future where every Palestinian has access to comprehensive and quality sexual and reproductive health services, where women and girls are free from gender-based violence, and where young people are empowered to lead their own futures.

With a focus on empowering women and girls, we work to accelerating pursuit of three zeros for Palestine:

Zero unmet need for family planning for Palestinians
Zero Palestinian mothers dying in childbirth
Zero gender-based violence in Palestine – including zero child marriage

UNFPA is actively implementing its 7th Country Programme 2023-2025 in Palestine, with a clear vision and focus to urgently accelerate the reduction of stagnated unmet needs for family planning, combat increasingly higher rates of gender-based violence and child marriage, whilst simultaneously returning to and sustaining earlier gains on maternal mortality.

This acceleration will be achieved through four interconnected outputs:

Improved national policies and accountability mechanisms for the provision of integrated SRHR services to vulnerable women and young people, including the prevention and response to GBV and harmful practices.
Strengthened capacity of government and non-governmental organizations to provide high-quality services for SRH, as well as essential services to address GBV and child marriage, with a focus on the furthest behind first.
Enhanced national mechanisms and community-level capacities to address discriminatory gender and sociocultural norms
Improved skills, capabilities and opportunities for adolescents and youth to ensure bodily autonomy, leadership and participation in sustainable development

Given the unique operating environment and challenges in Palestine, UNFPA will also continue to respond to the population's humanitarian needs. Furthermore, UNFPA aims to bridge the gap between humanitarian and development programs, promote a more sustainable response for enhanced resilience, and provide technical and financial support for the implementation of the commitments made by the State of Palestine during the Nairobi Summit.

UNFPA utilizes five distinct modes of engagement to drive its efforts in Palestine: (a) advocacy and policy dialogue and support; (b) knowledge management; (c) capacity development; (d) targeted service delivery; and (e) coordination and partnerships.

We work closely with the Palestinian government and other stakeholders to create policies and programmes that support our transformative goals and strengthen the resilience of Palestinian institutions and communities.

Our team of local and international experts is dedicated to making a positive impact in the communities we serve by building partnerships, supporting innovative solutions, and providing targeted and effective support for affected communities and other marginalized groups.