ILO appeals for $20Mn to aid Palestinian workers, employers

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — The International Labour Organization (ILO) recently launched a $20 million funding appeal to support hundreds of thousands of Palestinian workers and employers impacted by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The appeal aims to fund a three-phase ILO program providing immediate relief and longer-term assistance to those affected.
The priority is emergency livelihood aid for unemployed workers, followed by labor market data collection and analysis to inform further interventions.
The final phase entails job and business recovery initiatives like infrastructure projects and social protection.
ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo stressed the “tragic loss of life” and “unprecedented loss of livelihoods” caused by fighting. He said the funds are urgently needed given the crisis’s scale.
Recent ILO assessments found that at least 61% of Gaza jobs and nearly a quarter in the West Bank were lost since October, translating to an estimated $16 million in daily income losses across Palestinian territories.
Earlier reports also revealed that the Israeli government called up 360,000 of its reservists and revoked work permits for around 4,500 Palestinian tech workers, causing major disruptions to labor markets and workforce solutions companies operating in the region.
The situation in blockaded Gaza is especially dire as pre-existing poverty and unemployment have worsened. Prolonged conflict and restricted humanitarian access could have “reverberations felt for years,” ILO warned.
The ILO response provides immediate relief to impacted groups. It also analyzes crisis effects on the labor market to support recovering lost jobs, businesses, and infrastructure. Social protection benefits are also planned.