Introduction to volunteer in Palestine with refugees: The Palestinian Israeli conflict has been a long running sore in the Middle East for over seventy years now, with the result that there are over 5.5 million refugees worldwide, according to the UN. These are spread throughout the world, outside of the Middle East, but the biggest concentration is of course in Palestine itself and in the surrounding countries.
In this article we discuss how to help refugees both in your home country and the Middle East (mainly in Palestine) and the relative merits of each option.
Volunteering with Palestinian refugees in your home country
If a trip to the Middle East is too difficult for you (and it is a big commitment in terms of time and money), there are usually opportunities to volunteer in your own country, wherever you come from – especially if you live in a big city like London, Berlin or elsewhere in Europe or in other Western countries.
This can be the best option to help refugees if it is the most convenient for you: to help refugees find a new life in their host country (for the time being) and develop the skills they need, professional and language-wise, to survive and thrive in an unfamiliar country.
Volunteering in a city in Palestine
However, if it is possible – it is better to volunteer either in Palestine or the surrounding countries with large refugee populations in the Middle East like Jordan and Lebanon. That’s because the closer you are to the source of the problems, the easier it is as a refugee to return to your original homeland at some point. Some refugees are happy to start a new life in a country free from the troubles that Palestine experiences, but many feel an intense sense of frustration at being dislocated and disconnected from their ancestral homeland.
There are non profit organisations operating in Hebron, Jerusalem and Ramallah which aim to alleviate the plight of refugees who are struggling within the city and the nearby countryside. Finding a volunteer opportunity in one of these cities can provide great access to the people you need to help, but you should bear in mind that (with the exception of Hebron), the cost of living can be higher in these cities than the smaller towns.
Volunteering a in a refugee camp in Palestine
The most direct answer to this question is simply to volunteer directly in a refugee camp in Palestine or one of the surrounding countries. In this case, you are right there ‘on the ground’ so to speak, ready to make an instant impact, which you can then see as you help the development of the refugees. However, there are fewer organisations who operate these sort of programmes directly in refugee camps, due to Israeli restrictions, so it can be more difficult to find one of these programmes in the first place.
Preparing for a volunteer experience with refugees in Palestine
Travelling to Palestine to work with refugees can be quite a daunting prospect, especially if you have never visited the Middle East before, so we would recommend following these tips to ensure you have a safe, happy and fulfilling time in Palestine. First of all, look up the area you will be staying in to be sure of any cultural quirks and to make doubly sure that the security situation is okay there (it almost always will be).
Plan your route to get there and prepare for the Israeli questioning at Tel Aviv airport by reading up about it online. Finally pack appropriate clothing bearing in mind the changeable climate and the local customs relating to clothing (Muslim attitudes about dress can be quite strict, particularly for women and it is better to err on the safe side).
Volunteering with refugees in Hebron, Palestine
A great option which balances the opportunities to work in a city and in a camp, is to volunteer with refugees through the Excellence Center in the city of Hebron, Palestine. With the Excellence Center, each volunteer is given a liaison manager to assign their duties to where the help is needed the most.
In the city of Hebron, there are many deprivations owing to the ongoing Occupation and there is the nearby Fawwar refugee camp as well. The work of volunteers in this area is therefore very important to help alleviate the plight of the Palestinians who have been affected by the Occupation.
Help refugees in Palestine
Many volunteers appreciate the opportunity to work so closely with the refugees in question and directly see how their efforts help the lives of those who need it the most. The Excellence Center provides Arabic tuition (in addition to accommodation) to volunteers to help develop their Arabic skills and help refugees in their native language where possible. It doesn’t matter whether you are near fluent in Arabic or you have never spoken it before – the Excellence Center does its best to make life easy for the volunteers.
The Excellence Center is highly reviewed by former volunteers, with many emphasising the importance of the opportunity to be as close as possible with the refugees. Additionally many enjoy the atmosphere creating by international volunteers working closely together with the local Palestinian staff to create a harmonious environment of mutual cooperation. For more information about the volunteer programme to help refugees, contact Rafat Shantir on the details below or look at the relevant area on the Excellence Center website.
Final remarks
We look forward to receiving your application to volunteer in Palestine with refugees through us here at the Excellence Center, Hebron, West Bank at some point soon in the very near future!
Any questions
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Rafat@excellencenter.org
Whatsapp:+972599479880
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excellence.center/
For more information, please visit our website: https://excellencenter.org/
Excellence Center’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExcellenceCenter
Tags: Volunteer with Refugees
