AVSI has been present in Palestine since 1993, when it launched its first projects supporting small businesses and artisanal activities in the West Bank.

Today, through close collaboration with public and private local institutions, AVSI continues to operate across the West Bank.

Despite the extremely challenging context, AVSI promotes interventions focused on sustainable economic development, social inclusion, education, and access to healthcare.

In 2025, the West Bank experienced a deterioration in socioeconomic conditions, compounded by increased restrictions on movement, an escalation of violence linked to the war, and the climate crisis.

Rural and peripheral communities are hit the hardest, with limited access to essential services and increasingly scarce economic opportunities.

Attacks against Palestinian families have increased significantly, including attacks on people, the destruction of agricultural property and community infrastructure: the situation remains marked by uncertainty, while the forced displacement of entire areas of the West Bank continues.

In the West Bank, 22.5% of boys and 30% of girls aged 6 to 15 with disabilities have never attended compulsory school. People with disabilities face significant barriers not only to accessing education, but also in the labour market and in social life.

AVSI promotes an inclusive education model, taking into account the specific needs of students with disabilities.

Through its Distance Support programme, AVSI supports:

The long-standing partnership with the “Effetà Paolo VI” Institute, a school specialising in audio-phonetic rehabilitation and the social inclusion of children and young people with hearing impairments, has evolved in response to the needs identified on the ground and the high level of vulnerability of Palestinian families. For this reason, a double sponsorship model has been introduced: families often also have to cover the transportation costs required for their children to reach the school, which may be located a considerable distance from their homes. The combined contribution of the two sponsors therefore makes it possible to address a broader range of needs.

Starting in 2026, AVSI has also established a partnership with Caritas Jerusalem and Rawdat al-Basma Kindergarten in Nablus, supporting a total of 405 vulnerable children and their families.

Through the Distance Support programme, AVSI provides:

In addition, through the 2025/26 Tents Campaign, “Peace is a Humble Path”, AVSI supports six schools affiliated with the Custody of the Holy Land, serving approximately 1,200 Palestinian students in East Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Jericho.

Although limited employment opportunities remain a major challenge in the West Bank, AVSI promotes projects that facilitate access to the labour market for the most vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, women, and young people.

The approach is integrated and sustainable, with particular attention to climate resilience, agri-food value chains, and inclusive tourism.

Among the most significant initiatives is “Li Biladina: Sustainable Agriculture, Decent Work and Cultural Heritage Restoration for Community Resilience in the West Bank” (2022–2026), funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and implemented in partnership with the Italian CSO CRIC (Regional Centre for Intervention and Cooperation) and local organisations BASR (Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation), LRC (Land Research Center), and the Mosaic Center.

The project is implemented in the governorates of Hebron and Ramallah, particularly in the municipalities of El Burj, Sa’ir, and Taybeh, rural areas often marginalised and affected by restrictions on access and development.

Activities include:

In the governorate of Nablus, where hospitals operate at only 70% of their capacity and primary healthcare centres function on average just two days per week, AVSI launched the project “Beyond Health: Right to Health and Protection in Nablus.”

The initiative aims to improve access to health, social, and protection services for the most vulnerable populations. In addition to equipping emergency centres in Nablus, Beita, and Huwwara with life-saving equipment and medical supplies, the project includes:

The intervention directly reaches more than 400 people, while generating broader benefits for the local community.

In the governorates of Jenin and Tulkarem, the areas of the West Bank most affected by displacement—with more than 29,000 displaced people recorded in May 2025—AVSI leads the project “KARAMA – Inclusive and Dignified Access to Essential Services” (AID 12966/01/0), funded by AICS and implemented in consortium with CESVI, Emergenza Sorrisi, and the local partner BASR.

Over a nine-month period, the intervention seeks to protect the dignity of more than 121,000 vulnerable Palestinians through an integrated approach spanning protection, health, and WASH services:

Across the governorates of Nablus, Jenin, and Tulkarem, AVSI’s interventions contribute to ongoing efforts by local institutions and actors to maintain the continuity of essential services in a context marked by increasing fragility. The integration of support to healthcare facilities, protection services, rehabilitation pathways, and psychosocial assistance helps foster a more coordinated response to the needs of individuals and communities most affected by the crisis.