Nablus – 12 October 2026 – SOS Children’s Villages Palestine has opened its northern West Bank office in Nablus and launched the project “Empowering Community Structures in the Northern West Bank.” The opening meeting was attended by National Director Ms. Ghada Hirzallah; a delegation from SOS Children’s Villages International, including Mr. Claudio Croce, International Operations Director, and Ms. Anushka Gopaul, CVI Representative; and the national management team. They were joined by the Deputy Governor of Nablus, representatives of the Nablus, Tubas and Tulkarm governorates, the Ministries of Social Development and Education, and the project’s partner associations.

The meeting opened with a welcome address from the National Director. Programme Director Mr. Mohammad Abu Shamsiyeh then gave an overview of the organization’s work in Palestine, and Project Manager Mr. Luay Qassarweh presented the project’s objectives and implementation approach, as well as the child protection challenges facing grassroots organizations. The Women’s Center for Psychological and Social Counseling introduced its work, and representatives of the partner associations outlined their roles in the project. The organization is implementing the project with official and community partners across the northern governorates: alongside the Center, these are Tubas Charitable Society in Tubas, Ya’bad Charitable Society in Jenin, Al-Ta’awon Society for Community Development in Salfit, Askar Society for Community Development in Nablus, and Nour Shams Charitable Society for the Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities in Tulkarm.

The launch is part of the organization’s 2026–2028 strategy, which aims to reach 1,200 additional families in the West Bank by 2028, providing them with psychosocial support, economic empowerment, and support in education and health. The project focuses on strengthening the capacity of local community organizations and building genuine partnerships with them, so they can be closer to families and better able to protect their children.

“We believe a family cannot grow strong on its own,” said National Director Ghada Hirzallah. “It needs a community around it: organizations close by, a network that protects it, and a place to turn to. That is why we started this project, so that our partner organizations are better able to protect children and support the stability of their families, over the long term and not only in times of crisis.”

The meeting closed with an open discussion on priorities for work in the northern governorates and on coordination and support between the organization, official institutions and partner associations. Representatives of the governorates, ministries and associations shared what they see on the ground of families’ needs in their cities, villages and camps, so that every family facing hardship can find someone nearby they know and can turn to.

Through its Family Strengthening interventions, SOS Children’s Villages Palestine continues to work with the most vulnerable families in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, helping families stay together and able to care for their children, guided by its belief that every child has the right to grow up in a family that loves and protects them.