BEIRUT (ILO News): The ILO has launched a new set of operations for an emergency employment programme in Gaza, a vital initiative that aims to address the severe economic and humanitarian challenges that stem from the continuing crisis.
The initiative marks a critical step in addressing the devastating socio-economic impact of the ongoing crisis on workers, employers, and their families while restoring vital services for the community.
In response to the unprecedented levels of destruction and unemployment across Gaza, the programme seeks to provide immediate income support and essential public services. It is part of the ILO’s broader Emergency Recovery Plan (ERP) for the Occupied Palestinian Territory of Gaza and the West Bank.
In early 2024 the ILO piloted an emergency employment scheme. It employed more than 150 women and men and created 13,500 workdays to deliver essential services, including health services and municipal works, and was carried out in partnership with the UN Development Programme. Based on this pilot, the ILO is now implementing a scaled-up initiative that directly implements works such as water sewage cleaning, waste management and other municipal operations, in partnership with the Palestinian Employment Fund (PEF). The aim is to employ 1,245 workers and create more than 112,000 workdays by August 2025.
Emergency employment in Gaza is not only about income generation; it is also a humanitarian necessity. Initiatives like water and sewage maintenance mitigate the risk of public health crises while creating vital job opportunities for the vast displaced population. These programmes emphasize the dual benefits of meeting immediate and critical community needs and supporting livelihoods in extreme conflict settings.
ILO Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat highlighted the ILO’s important role in mitigating the impact of the severe crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. “Through funding from our development partners, and together with UN agencies, national organizations and local communities, the ILO is committed to driving a recovery in Gaza and the West Bank that emphasizes rebuilding critical infrastructure, generating decent employment opportunities, fostering skills development, and promoting inclusive economic resilience,” Jaradat said.
ILO Emergency Response Programme Manager Tomoki Watanabe stressed the importance of employment in alleviating the suffering of the residents of Gaza. “From my meetings with beneficiaries in Gaza, I know how important the ILO’s programmes in Gaza can be to restore hope, dignity and psychological well-being for workers and their families. Amidst unimaginable destruction and suffering, work offers a pathway for individuals to contribute meaningfully to their communities and foster resilience,” Watanabe said.
Gaza has been devastated by months of conflict, leaving more than one million people homeless and displacing 75 per cent of the population. Infrastructure has been extensively damaged, with housing, industrial facilities, and essential services such as healthcare, water, and electricity systems bearing the brunt of the destruction. This situation has also resulted in unprecedented unemployment rates, averaging nearly 80 per cent in Gaza during the first year of the war which erupted in October 2023, according to ILO research.
The ILO’s US$20 million Emergency Recovery Plan (ERP) for Gaza and the West Bank encompasses three phases: immediate relief, assessing the impact of the war on the labour market, and early recovery. The new programme is part of the ERP’s third, early recovery phase, which aims to restore jobs and enterprises in the West Bank and Gaza through employment promotion, social protection, and business recovery. The ILO’s overall response is in line with the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and builds on the wider context of the United Nation’s relief and early recovery programming.
