Stand with Palestine

Thank you so much for your support of this project. I’m writing to share some updates from ActionAid’s work in Palestine. We appreciate you taking the time to learn about and support our efforts.

The olive harvest has long been one of the largest sources of economic sustainability for thousands of Palestinian families in the occupied Palestinian territories as it supports the livelihoods of more than 100,000 families and accounts for a quarter of the gross agricultural income in oPt. While olive harvest season used to be a time for happy family gatherings and joy in Palestine, since the increase in Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian farmers, their families, and their lands, that sentiment has changed. In fact, according to The Applied Research Institute Jerusalem, since 1967, nearly one million olive trees have been uprooted, making it extremely difficult for Palestinian farmers to provide for themselves and their families.

One farmer says that he cannot bring agricultural equipment to his land due to Israel’s restriction on movement, hindering his ability to farm efficiently. He added, “Olive trees are not only affected by illegal settlement, but they suffer from the climate crisis and rising temperatures which impact all trees. My land was full of grapes, but now most of them have died due to drought.”

To overcome part of this problem, and alongside our local partners, ActionAid is working with Palestinian youth groups to support farmers in harvesting olives in Al-Makhrour, an area near in southern West Bank. A young volunteer says, “I am happy to participate today in olive picking because we revive the legacy of our grandparents. We came to help farmers in Al-Makhrour to strengthen their resilience and existence on this land due to violations they face on daily basis because of land confiscation.”

Thanks to your continued support, ActionAid can implement tangible, immediate solutions to deeply rooted, multi-faceted problems. Now more than ever, your commitment to human rights makes a difference. Thank you for your solidarity.