On this World Humanitarian Day, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS highlights the importance of giving humanitarian personnel the training and skills they need to work safely. In Gaza, that means bringing security training within reach.
For humanitarian personnel working in Gaza, access to security training can be difficult. Travelling outside Gaza to attend training is often not feasible while much of the available training has been delivered in English, limiting opportunities for national personnel working with United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to build skills for working safely in a complex environment.
Delivering Security Courses in the Arabic Language Makes a Difference
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS has been providing various security training in Gaza since 2024. The courses covered include first aid, mission security, safety and security awareness, communications, trauma response and explosive risk awareness. In 2026, feedback from Saving Lives Together (SLT) partners highlighted the importance of expanding access to security training for national personnel as a priority. One of the barriers identified was making trainings more regularly available in Gaza and in Arabic to allow more national personnel to attend.
With support from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS Israel Occupied Palestinian Territory (IOPT) strengthened local training capacity by expanding the pool of qualified trainers for some courses, enabling the continued delivery of critical training in Gaza in both Arabic and English.
"National personnel are at the heart of the humanitarian response. They are often the people who remain closest to communities and continue working in difficult conditions, so ensuring they have access to practical security training is essential," said Mr. Tarek Al Ahjeri, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS IOPT Training Coordinator based in Amman. ¡°The priority was to make that training more accessible and relevant to the realities they face.¡±
In May, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS conducted an Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) Training of Trainers (ToT) for 10 personnel from the United Nations (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ) and international NGO partner, CADUS, supporting operations in Gaza. The course expanded the pool of certified Arabic and English-speaking trainers able to deliver IFAK training in Gaza. In June, following nearly three months of coordination across Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS HQ, Amman, Gaza and Jerusalem, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS also deployed a certified trainer to Gaza to co-facilitate two Field Security Associate (FSA) trainings. This enabled the certification of Gaza-based personnel. Collectively, these efforts expanded the pool of trainers available locally and strengthened Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS¡¯s capacity to facilitate and deliver the IFAK and Gaza Safety and Security Awareness Training (GSSAT) courses in Gaza from June.
The impact was reflected not just in the number of trainings delivered but also their increased availability in Arabic. Three of the four GSSAT courses delivered in June were conducted in Arabic, while a pilot session for INGOs was also made available to SLT partners. Similarly, three out of the four IFAK courses delivered in June were in Arabic, allowing 42 staff members from international and national NGO partners to be trained (compared to an average of 20 between January and May). In July, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS delivered six IFAK courses, including five in Arabic, covering 78 out of the 95 personnel trained, the majority of whom were from SLT partners.
¡°If training is not accessible, it cannot have the impact it is meant to have. Providing training in Gaza and in Arabic means more personnel can engage with the guidance and apply the skills in the context where they work,¡± Mr. Al Ahjeri said.
Looking Ahead - Beyond Security Awareness Training
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS Gaza will be launching a pioneering initiative to provide technical customized in-house security planning training clinics for SLT partners. These clinics will strengthen risk management capacities for organizations without dedicated security expertise on the ground, while ensuring partners retain full ownership and accountability for their security decisions. Through this initiative, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS continues to serve as a trusted enabler of humanitarian action, helping partners manage risk effectively and sustain operational delivery in complex environments.
