Johanniter in Occupied Palestinian Territories
- We have been working in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank since 2004.
- Activities: emergency medical aid, mother and child health, medical care for eye patients
- Target groups: the population affected by conflict
- Partner organizations: St. John Eye Hospital, Juzoor, UK-Med
Needs and Context
Following Hamas' brutal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip as a counter-reaction over a period of more than two years, a ceasefire prevails in the region. The situation remains devastating for the people, who continue to struggle for survival every day amid destroyed homes and broken infrastructure due to insufficient supplies of relief goods.
People in the occupied territories are confronted with violence and a lack of social and political justice. The construction of the Israeli wall between Israel and the West Bank, the ongoing occupation and the closure of the borders in Gaza have significantly affected the lives of millions of Palestinians and restricted the movement of people and goods as well as the economic and social development of the territories. This has led to trauma, unemployment and poverty.
The situation facing the civilian population in Gaza and the West Bank is dire.
More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and more than 150,000 injured. The health system has collapsed and access to food, water and medical care is extremely difficult and limited, threatening large-scale famine. Access to medical care for the chronically and acutely ill remains very difficult, as many medical facilities and hospitals have been damaged or destroyed. The acute water shortage increases the risk of illness and death. Buildings and important infrastructure have been destroyed.
Our interventions in Occupied Palestinian territories
Johanniter International has been active in Palestine since 2004. We have a long-standing partnership with St. John Eye Hospital, which is also a member of Johanniter International, the partnership of the four Protestant Johanniter Orders and their national relief organizations. The organization examines and treats people with eye conditions, thus protecting them from severe visual impairment or blindness.
With our support, the national relief organization Juzoor operates eight health centers that provide medical care to people in Gaza and the West Bank.
Since 2025, we have been working with the British relief organization UK-Med to rebuild the medical infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. To this end, two health centers in Gaza City and in the north of the Gaza Strip, which were destroyed by air strikes, are being put back into operation.
