The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO) has released a new fact sheet on the implications of registration restrictions on international NGOs and their impact on local organizations.

The fact sheet, titled " Implications of new INGOs registration measures and their ‎impact on local ‎organization in Palestine - ‎Expected Impacts and Possible Scenarios"‎, was published with support of Christian Aid. It highlights the indirect effects of administrative and registration restrictions targeting international organizations and their implications on the sustainability of Palestinian NGOs' operations and their ability to deliver humanitarian services.

The fact sheet emphasizes that international NGOs form the backbone of the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip, providing services in several vital sectors, including health, water and sanitation, shelter, and food and non-food items. Some of these organizations also operate field hospitals, making any restriction on their work a direct threat to the entire humanitarian system.

The findings indicate that a decline or restructuring of the international presence could lead to serious scenarios that might reduce the effectiveness of the response. The paper also revealed structural gaps, with most local organizations relying on funding through project implementation partnerships, and few organizations qualified to deal directly with donors.

It highlighted key challenges, including supply chain disruptions, loss of technical support, weak emergency response capabilities, and declining community trust and erosion of social capital resulting from the weakening of local institutions' role in direct implementation.

The paper called for the establishment of direct funding channels for local organizations, the development of responsible transition plans by international organizations, and the formation of local sectoral alliances to enhance negotiating power. It also advocated for registration mechanisms that take into account the specific nature of humanitarian work in the occupied territories.

The paper concluded by emphasizing that strengthening equitable partnerships between international and local actors and proactively funding institutional capacity building for local organizations are essential to avoiding negative scenarios and ensuring the effectiveness and sustainability of the humanitarian response.