One Year of Una Terra in Comune
This page brings together and explores the first year of work of Una Terra in Comune. But it is not just an activity report: it is a collective story made of choices, relationships, urgency and continuity.
It is a story born from the need to give back complexity, to provide context, and to recognise the shared work that made every action possible.
A Year of Challenges. A Year of Presence.
2025 marked the beginning of this solidarity project, launched in the midst of the bombing over civilian population of the Gaza Strip.
Everything started from a network of volunteers who, faced with the collapse of living conditions and the lack of access to basic needs, chose to act in a direct, continuous and responsible way.
Thanks to the support of La Comune and the collaboration with Vento di Terra, active in Gaza for over eleven years, Una Terra in Comune began to directly support few families, ensuring not only material aid but also a constant presence based on listening and mutual trust.
In one year of activity, the project supported more than 15 families, for a total of over 120 people, most of them children.
From the very beginning, the goal was not to provide occasional help, but to build support that could last over time and adapt to a constantly changing context.
Why telling the story of this first year
This story comes from the need to pause and look back. To give a shared meaning to what happened during a year marked by catastrophic events, repeated emergencies and deep changes in the lives of the families involved.
Telling the story of this first year also means making visible the daily work that often stays in the background: decisions taken in urgency, logistical difficulties, ethical choices, resource management, and the building of relationships at a distance.
Looking back also helps us understand how a small-scale project, when rooted and shared, can create real and measurable impact without losing sight of people’s dignity.
Who this story is for
This story is dedicated to everyone who made Una Terra in Comune possible.
To the donors who supported the project consistently, even when media attention on Gaza decreased.
To local groups who organised fundraising initiatives.
To the associations whose donations made it possible to activate structured programmes such as food parcel distribution.
It is also for those who followed the project from afar, sharing content, spreading information, and choosing not to look away.
The context: living in the Gaza Strip today
Military operations
At the beginning of 2026, the so-called second phase of the ceasefire announced with the Sharm el-Sheikh agreements of October 2025 has still not begun. Military operations continue beyond the yellow line, and the entry of humanitarian aid remains extremely limited.
As a result, the conditions needed to restore even the minimum standards for a dignified life are still far away, especially in the absence of an international legal framework for reconstruction and the removal of obstacles imposed by Israel.
Climate and health
This situation has been made worse by extreme weather events. Winter brought heavy rain and tornadoes that hit hard those living in tents or makeshift shelters, causing further losses and civilian casualties.
The beginning of 2026 was also marked by a Covid outbreak and the spread of stomach flu, putting even more pressure on an already collapsed healthcare system.
Poverty
Talking about the end of the war is often misleading. The vast majority of families have lost their sources of income and the savings built up over years.
Even those who are still working, such as doctors or civil defence workers, often receive no pay.
Education
In one of the most literate contexts in the world, education has been interrupted for over two years. Those who continued studying did so under extreme conditions: without electricity, studying by phone torchlight, often while hungry.
The families: who we support and how
Una Terra in Comune was born from the desire to stand alongside the civilian population of Gaza while they were under constant bombardment and total blockade. Many people, in an attempt to seek help, used social media to send appeals abroad.
Many responded to these calls, creating a network of relationships, friendships and long-distance support. Thanks to the collaboration with Vento di Terra and the building of strong emotional bonds, these connections led to the creation of Una Terra in Comune.
The project initially supported 10 families, later expanding to 15. The choice was never to limit support to individuals, but to support families who could in turn help relatives, friends and neighbours in difficulty.
Over time, the group changed and evolved. Some situations worsened, others required different forms of support. Recently, the community grew with the birth of two baby girls: Alya, born on 13 November 2025, and Amani, born on 2 February 2026.
Programmes Activated
Cash Aid programme
Una Terra in Comune began its work with the Cash Aid programme, a form of direct financial support designed to meet families’ daily needs.
Through this programme, families were able to cover expenses related to food, health, care for elderly people, disabilities, chronic illnesses, pregnancy and newborns.
Cash Aid proved to be a flexible form of support that respected families’ autonomy, allowing them to make decisions based on their real and immediate priorities.
Pacchi alimentari e sicurezza alimentare
From March 2025, following the near-total blockade of humanitarian aid, the prices of basic goods rose dramatically, making it impossible for many families to buy food.
In collaboration with Vento di Terra, Una Terra in Comune centralised the purchase of basic food items, distributing food parcels regularly to an average of 55 families.
This programme is still active and remains one of the key pillars of the intervention.
Emergencies, evacuations and health fund
At the beginning of summer, in response to the threat of military advances towards Deir Al Balah, Una Terra in Comune supported evacuations and purchased 15 tents for families left without shelter.
At the same time, an emergency fund was created for urgent medical care, surgeries and the treatment of infections that particularly affected children.
The fund was also used to treat injuries sustained at so-called American distribution points.
Despite these efforts, four relatives of the supported families lost their lives due to their injuries. Two other people were arrested while trying to work as fishermen.
Malnutrition programme
With the rapid rise in malnutrition cases, Una Terra in Comune launched a specific programme in collaboration with nutritionist Claudia Panzavecchia and with the direct involvement of the families.
The programme provided therapeutic and high-nutrient food to 33 patients, most of them children. Families played an active role in monitoring and managing the nutritional process.
Winter project
Once the malnutrition programme ended, the project had to respond to the winter emergency.
In the final months of 2025, thanks to collaboration with ACS and the organisational capacity of the families, 41 double blankets and 28 tarpaulins were purchased and distributed to insulate tents and shelters from rain and wind.
2026 began with a Covid outbreak, from which many people are still recovering.
Education, scholarships and legal support
Alongside emergency programmes, volunteers involved in the project worked to raise funds to support the university studies of students in the group, helping them apply for international scholarships.
Other volunteers connected families with lawyers, supporting them in preparing humanitarian visa applications.
Results: what has changed
Non-Measurable Results
- During the most critical periods of the humanitarian aid blockade, Una Terra in Comune ensured that supported families could have at least 1 hot meal a day, avoiding the risks of militarised distribution centres or long and fruitless waits.
- Thanks to the malnutrition programme, 33 cases were successfully treated.
- In collaboration with ACS, 41 double blankets and 28 tarpaulins protected over 120 people during the coldest nights.
Non-Measurable Results
Alongside the numbers, there are results that cannot be easily measured.
Stability, continuity, trust built over time. The psychological support that comes from knowing you have not been abandoned.
Through WhatsApp groups and daily exchanges, families were never left alone.
From a distance, not only the hardest moments were shared, but also births, birthdays, small achievements and moments of normal life.
Looking ahead to 2026: why long-term work is even more urgent
This new year will focus on continuing existing programmes and identifying new priorities, in constant dialogue with the families involved.
To make this possible, financial resources, strong relationships and a community willing to stay will be essential.
The end of military operations does not mean the end of needs.
Today, the greatest risk is international abandonment. Continuing to be present means resisting this dynamic and choosing long-term responsibility.
Staying is not a neutral choice. It is a position that calls people in, without blaming, and recognises the complexity of the present.
Thanks to those who were there and those who will be
Deep thanks go to the families who shared their lives and to the volunteers who made every programme possible.
Thank you to donors, partner organisations, Vento di Terra, ACS, and everyone who chose to be there.
Una Terra in Comune exists because this network exists.
Would you like to stay with us?
Supporting Una Terra in Comune means choosing continuity. It means contributing to daily work built on presence, listening and shared responsibility.
You can do this through a donation, by sharing the project, or by joining the network.
Together, we can make a difference.
To learn more and support Una Terra in Comune