CARE's work in the Middle East

CARE was closely involved in emergency relief efforts following the second intifada in September 2000, trucking water and distributing medical supplies into the West Bank and Gaza. Also, in March 2003, we were heavily engaged in relief work in Iraq, following the invasion of the coalition troops.

CARE closed its operations in Iraq in 2005 following the tragic abduction and presumed murder of Margaret Hassan. Violence and political instability in Iraq continue to have a spillover effect into other countries in the region. Ongoing conflict in the West Bank and Gaza also leaves many of the poorest Palestinian people with little opportunity to travel freely or to earn a living.

Increasing access to water 

From Gaza and the West Bank to Jordan and Egypt, in Africa, one of the main priorities in the region is water. Many of the poorest groups of people are marginalized in different ways, and often have no access to clean fresh water – to wells or to the pipelines that carry it. One of CARE’s major projects in the region is the EMPOWERS project (Euro-Med Participatory Water Resources Scenarios), which is a regional partnership aiming to improve communities’ long-term access to water. The project encourages the local people who need the water to lead the negotiations and activities.

While much of CARE’s work in the region does still answer people’s need for medicine and basic facilities, we are also focusing on issues such as reproductive and public health, women’s empowerment, democratic development, leadership training, community development, fisheries conservation and development, as well as building a strong civil society.

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