Support OHCHR Protection Cluster

The occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) suffers from a protracted protection crisis with large-scale humanitarian consequences, driven by a lack of respect for international law. The situation is underpinned and exacerbated by the lack of accountability for violations of international humanitarian (IHL) and human rights law (IHRL), and the resulting culture of impunity fosters further violations. Key drivers of protection concerns and humanitarian needs are the ongoing imposition of the blockade, and related restrictions on the movement of people and goods, on the Gaza Strip; the existence and expansion of settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, fragmentation of the oPt due to imposed restrictions on freedom of movement; discriminatory application of laws and law enforcement, a failure to uphold the rights of Palestinians and lack of accountability for violations of international law

To strengthen the protection of the Palestinian population in the oPt through effective leadership of the Protection Cluster ensuring coordinated and holistic responses and interventions addressing protection issues throughout the country.

1. 132 Palestinian, Israeli and international organizations that are members of the Protection Cluster
2. 244 organizations that are members of the five other clusters active in the oPt.
3. A total of 1.46 million individuals, especially children, women, elderly people and persons with disabilities and communities in Gaza and in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem are targeted/benefiting from projects submitted by Protection Cluster members under the Humanitarian Programme Cycle, covering legal assistance, child protection and psychosocial support, monitoring and documentation of violations, advocacy, explosive remnants of war (ERW) risk awareness, gender-based violence, and protective presence.

1. Effective coordination of the Protection Cluster and enhanced respect for international humanitarian and human rights law (IHL & IHRL), through the provision of strategic guidance, information analysis and sharing, guidance on IHL & IHRL, and advocacy addressing protection concerns and accountability for violations of international law.
2. Enhanced operational responses to protection concerns, through coordination of protection interventions and mainstreaming protection, including gender, age and disability perspectives, in humanitarian responses.

Expected results:  

1. Ensure overall coordination of the Protection Cluster and its sub-groups, including analysis of protection concerns, information sharing, guidance on protection strategies and contributions to humanitarian strategies and processes
2. Coordinate and provide guidance on international humanitarian and human rights law.
3. Coordinate advocacy on protection issues in line with the Humanitarian Country Team advocacy strategy.
4. Coordinate Protection Cluster responses to emerging protection concerns and cases, including through the inter-cluster response mechanism
5. Actively support protection mainstreaming (including gender, age and disability perspectives) in the humanitarian interventions of other clusters/sectors

European Commission for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO)

Most SDC national and international partners are members of the different humanitarian clusters, in particular the protection cluster, and directly benefit from or contribute to the Protection cluster outputs. It offers a unique space for strategic coordination of protection interventions. In addition, the Protection cluster’s role in selecting strategic priority interventions directly impacts on contributions by the Emergency Response Fund

Phase 1 01.01.2015 - 31.12.2015   (Completed)