Humanitarian Aid

Refugees and asylum seekers continue to suffer while the government works to finalize its asylum policy. With no access to a government-sponsored welfare system, women and children are the most vulnerable in the community. An alarming proportion of female asylum seekers have been victims of gender based sexual violence during their flight to Israel, while youth are vulnerable to participating in high-risk activities and face serious risk to their well-being without the guidance and protection of parents or caregivers.

Asylum seekers are routinely detained in Israeli prisons for an indefinite period of time after crossing the border. However, pregnant women are typically released from detention centers when their pregnancy has been confirmed. They are dropped off in the center of Tel Aviv without any further support and face homelessness and further exposure to sexual assault on the streets. They find themselves alone in a new country without the ability to communicate in Hebrew or English and no awaiting family members or support groups. Further, separation from fathers and husbands and the dispersal of communities has left many mothers as the sole provider for their children. For many, ARDC’s shelter in the Shapira neighbourhood of south Tel Aviv is their only option.