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FAO - in partnership with the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Ministry of Youth and Sport, Youth Development Association and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) - has recently published a case study report on “Promoting Employment and Entrepreneurship for Vulnerable Youths in West Bank and Gaza Strip”

Youth in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS) face enormous challenges related to occupation, conflict, deep rural poverty, food insecurity and lack of extracurricular activities. Israeli closure policies, the construction of the Separation Wall, land confiscation, limited access to water resources, lack of access to services and limited access to the labour market affect many villages, which are facing impoverishment and high levels of unemployment. This trend, coupled with the high cost of non-food items, has a severe negative impact on food security, especially among poor rural households and female-headed households.

Investment in capacity building and agricultural knowledge is strongly required, in order to increase income, supply of nutritious food and entrepreneurship skills of young people.

The case study explores the activities undertaken by the Gender, Equity and Rural Employment Division (ESWD) jointly with the Emergency Operations and Rehabilitation Division (TCES) to improve youths’ skills and abilities in carrying out income generating activities in WBGS; it also emphasizes the role of women’s associations and the creation of youth farmers clubs grouping former Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools graduates in the rural areas. 540 vulnerable youths from 16 schools have been trained during the school year 2008-2009 and 620 from 18 schools are presently training during this 2009-2010 school year.