DSPR, Gaza

Background

Founded by the Near East Council of Churches (NECC) to serve the 198,000 Palestinian refugees in Gaza after 1948, the Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees (DSPR) developed highly specialised work in three areas:

• early years and maternal health
• youth employment skills training
• psychosocial trauma support for children and parents

These programmes were delivered across seven centres in Gaza, all of which have been badly damaged or destroyed during the current genocide.

Trauma support

Young children attend a health clinic run by Amos partner DSPR in Gaza City

The genocide in Gaza has left one million children deeply traumatised, with urgent mental health and psychosocial support needs. Throughout this crisis, Amos Trust has supported DSPR’s essential work to help children and their families cope with acute stress.

While two years of attacks and displacements made specialised post-trauma therapy impossible, DSPR staff continued providing psychosocial support and support on coping mechanisms. They are now starting to resume their full range of specialised services from two temporary sites in Gaza City and a third in Central Gaza.

DSPR initially set up psychosocial trauma support after the 2008/9 Operation Cast Lead war, recognising that the ongoing attacks and harsh living conditions in Gaza continually retraumatise families. Their programmes include play therapy for children, group support for parents and one-to-one family support, ensuring trauma is addressed continuously and effectively.

Amos partnership

Amos Trust began partnering with DSPR’s youth training programmes in 2011 and expanded support in 2020 to include psychosocial trauma services. Their youth programmes addressed high unemployment resulting from the Israeli blockade and included Gaza’s first women-only graphic design course.

All seven centres were forced to close when the genocide began in October 2023. Despite the destruction, DSPR remains committed to rebuilding these vital programmes, which will be crucial to restoring opportunities and resilience for young people in Gaza.

Watch our short film about DSPR’s work across Gaza →

NECC is the part of the Middle East Council of Churches responsible for the work in Gaza. DSPR programmes also operate in Jerusalem and the West Bank, in Nazareth, Jordan and Lebanon.