The Palestinian Early Childhood Network
The Palestinian Network for Early Childhood (PNECD) was established as an extension of and a chapter of ANECD. It aims to place early childhood issues on the national agenda and advocate for the development of national ECD programs in alignment with global development goals, advanced theories and frameworks in this field, and the national ECD strategy. In the Palestinian context, children are born and live under the burden of Israeli occupation. Children and their families are affected from an early age by the consequences of the apartheid policies. Palestinian children have witnessed war, conflict, horrifying violence, loss, home demolitions, and military checkpoints. Many, especially in Gaza, have been forced to leave their homes, schools, and communities to seek shelter in refugee camps due to the destruction of their homes or temporary displacement out of fear of war, killing, destruction, and extermination, exacerbating the challenges they face. To meet the needs of children in Palestine and respond to these circumstances, the PNECD will work towards its goals by integrating comprehensive, multi-dimensional, and multi-sectoral ECD interventions with humanitarian interventions that are sensitive to the political situation and ongoing emergencies. The network will adopt programmatic models that provide relief for these children, contribute to improving their humanitarian conditions, invest in stabilizing and fostering their psychological well-being, and address their needs and concerns in all aspects. The Palestinian Network will remain committed to incorporating emergency and humanitarian interventions within developmental programs, ensuring a strong synergy between programs and policies that serve early childhood on both developmental and humanitarian levels.