RAMALLAH, Wednesday, April 19, 2023 (WAFA) - The humanitarian action youth group of ActionAid Palestine (AAP) expressed its solidarity and support to their Syrian peers in Northwest Syria as they are affected by the earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey on the 6th February 2023, according to an ActionAid press release.
Palestinian youth sent messages of solidarity to their Syrian pioneers through the "Violet" organization, which is a youth organization partnering with ActionAid International to set up a local partner-led humanitarian response focusing on providing immediate humanitarian relief to affected communities in Idleb, Aleppo and Latakia Governorates, it said.
In these messages, young people expressed their support for their Syrian peers during the humanitarian crisis caused by earthquakes. Palestinian youth shared with them their experiences and suffering during disasters, emergencies, and natural and political crises caused by illegal practices of Israeli occupation, including, displacement, war, destruction, and military escalation.
The messages contained motivational words highlighting the vital role of youth in humanitarian work and response, and assuming leadership roles in processes of preparedness, response, and reconstruction. The messages stressed the fact that youth work hard to provide their best to strengthen the resilience of their communities.
Youth activist, Bisan Odeh from Gaza, sent a message to her Syrian peers: “We recognize the difficulties you pass through. We wish you could have the power and capacity for resilience and recovery so that you could contribute to reconstructing your country.”
The youth activist, Adham Yaghi from Gaza Strip: “Palestinian youth have been experiencing emergencies and crisis for decades. We recognize the brunt of the war, bombing and devastation.”
The youth activist from Gaza Strip, Fuad Bant, demanded that Syrian youth focus on leading mental health initiatives that are essentially needed to mitigate the devastating consequences of crisis and emergencies.
The Protection Coordinator in the Syrian “Violet Organization”, Sawser Talostan: “There is no one more special than Palestine`s Youth sharing your concerns and supporting you. Patient people with high determination. Thank you for supporting us.”
The humanitarian action youth group is one of the youth groups AAP established to strengthen and support the capacities of youth to actively act in process of response, preparedness to emergencies and new shocks by providing them with required skills and knowledge. This group was established through the Global Humanitarian program which is part of AAP’s program of “Strengthening Palestinian Young people, particularly Young Women’s Leadership and Influence for Resilient, Just and Green Societies” within the strategic partnership 2 with ActionAid Denmark and it is funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).
The initiatives of solidarity and advocacy the humanitarian action youth group leads is a practical application to intensive training its youth members received addressing issues of principles of humanitarian action, building alliances and networks and humanitarian advocacy, said the press release.
Placing youth at the center of humanitarian action represents ActionAid’s approach for supporting youth by seeing them as key partners and leaders in process of reconstruction and recovery in ‘building back better’ for themselves and their communities as they are more familiar with the needs of their community. Therefore, added ActionAid, young people are usually the first respondents to humanitarian crises although are severely affected by emergencies and protracted crises. Engaging young people in prevention, preparedness, response and recovery will bring better, more localized and more accountable responses, it said.
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