We Are Not Numbers (Gaza)

Palestinian youth advocacy organisation based in Gaza

Since October 2023, over 260 journalists have been killed in Gaza — more than in all the wars of the 20th century combined. We Are Not Numbers (WANN) was established in 2015 as a Palestinian youth advocacy organisation, giving a human face to the statistics often cited in the news. The young people trained by WANN have become Gaza’s journalists, telling the stories behind the numbers.

Origins

WANN was founded by American journalist Pam Bailey and Gazan youth Ahmed Alnaouq. During the 2014 Israeli attack on Gaza, Ahmed’s elder brother, Ayman, and a group of friends were killed by an Israeli missile. Pam encouraged Ahmed to write about his experience, helping him transform personal loss into stories for a global audience.

Typically, reports on Palestinians living under occupation focus on politics and figures — how many are killed, injured, displaced, or reliant on aid. Numbers alone cannot convey the daily struggles, triumphs, laughter, tears, and aspirations of Gaza’s young people. WANN was created to give these stories a voice, training and equipping young writers to share them internationally.

Amos partnership

Amos Trust has partnered with WANN since 2020, collaborating on multiple projects and supporting Ahmed Alnaouq in his dual role as journalist and WANN director. By the start of the 2023 genocide, WANN already had a large network of trained writers.

When international journalists were banned from Gaza, WANN asked Amos to help fund their writers so they could continue documenting the unfolding events. This provided both a crucial source of income and recognition for their work.

Achievements

In 2024, the first ten years of WANN’s stories were compiled into a best-selling anthology. The collection closes poignantly with the final poem by one of WANN’s founders and mentors, Refaat Alareer, “If I Must Die”, a reminder of both resilience and loss.

Visit the WANN website →

Film

Watch our virtual tour of Jabalia Camp, Gaza from February 2021 hosted by members of We Are Not Numbers. Watch now →