Planning to volunteer in Palestine, looking for useful tips

Hello Ida,

I was a humanitarian aid worker in Palestine for several years before marrying a Palestinian. I worked with several organizations there, including doing PTSD counseling with children and their families and adults. I'd recommend reaching out to community centres run by locals. I would recommend sticking with one city and finding locals in that city that can help connect you to organizations related to your field. Palestinians are definitely in need of psych supports and education as both are severely lacking. If you're interested in connecting with locals in Nablus or Ramallah or want any information about the life there, culture and getting around, feel free to connect. I don't know how difficult it is to get into Gaza these days, but you'll find Gazans are severely traumatized and definitely in greater need of psych supports than those in the West Bank. I have family in Gaza as well and could potentially help you find some contacts there, but not sure how easily you'd get in. Your nationality and religious background will affect your ability to pass through borders within the Middle East.

Feel free to get in touch if you'd like any more information. It's truly an enriching and life changing experience to do psych work in Palestine and I hope you'll make it there and find it rewarding for both you and the Palestinian people.

Natalie