Second Session of Youth Summit 2025: Youth Demand Equity in Aid Distribution and Strengthened Oversight Mechanisms
The second session of the Youth Summit 2025 was held on Monday, 29 September 2025, via Zoom, under the title: “Where is the Aid Going? Youth and Equity in Distribution.” The session discussed the mechanisms for distributing humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, the existing gaps, and the tools available to youth for monitoring and community accountability.
This session was part of the summit organized by the Social Developmental Forum in partnership with the Coalition for Integrity and Accountability – AMAN, under the slogan: “Youth.. From Crisis to Leading Recovery.” The summit spanned three days (28-30 September) in the Middle Area of the Gaza Strip, led by a group of graduates of the Integrity School program.
The session was moderated by Rola Ashour, an Integrity School program graduate. Participants included Dr. Fedaa’ Soboh, Director of the Meeting Point for Field Hospitals, Kitchens, and Restaurants at the World Central Kitchen; Ali Abdul Wahab, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Social Developmental Forum; and Wael Balousha, the Regional Director of the Coalition for Integrity and Accountability – AMAN.
Aid and Youth
The speakers discussed three main themes, which included: the mechanisms for aid distribution and existing gaps, youth on the front lines: from documentation to community monitoring and oversight, and the tools available to youth for monitoring and accountability.
Dr. Fedaa’ Soboh stated that “the gap between the enormous scale of needs and the limited resources remains the greatest challenge to aid distribution.” She added, “Although mechanisms for field assessment, complaint hotlines, and feedback boxes have been implemented, the pressure from the displaced population and the weak infrastructure have hindered the equitable delivery of aid,” noting that coordination with local partners remains an essential tool for avoiding duplication and ensuring transparency.
Ali Abdul Wahab, meanwhile, emphasized the role of youth in the process of oversight, stating: “Despite the dangers and the frequent disruptions to communication and internet, young people have managed to document violations using simple digital tools. They have devised solutions such as anonymity and circumventing algorithms to prevent their content from being blocked, demonstrating their awareness of their monitoring role despite the challenges.”
For his part, Wael Balousha stressed the importance of institutional tools for monitoring and accountability, stating: “Random monitoring or reliance on hearsay is not enough. We need trained youth teams that rely on accurate and reliable data. Furthermore, adopting the Integrity Handbook issued by AMAN in distribution operations is a necessary step to prevent corruption and ensure equitable access to aid.”
Key Recommendations
The session emphasized the necessity of establishing a main network to receive documented violations from youth and relay them to decision-makers. It also stressed the need to accurately assess citizens’ needs before distributing aid to prevent its sale or misuse.
Furthermore, the session strongly recommended the formal adoption of the Integrity Handbook issued by the AMAN coalition in aid distribution processes. It underscored the imperative of involving youth in monitoring and follow-up operations as a tool to enhance transparency and accountability.
The session concluded by affirming that ensuring equity in humanitarian aid distribution requires closer coordination between institutions and the unification of channels to deliver aid to its rightful recipients, alongside empowering youth as partners in oversight and accountability.
The Youth Summit
The Youth Summit 2025 held in partnership with the Coalition for Integrity and Accountability – AMAN, was established as an annual dialogue platform that brings together Palestinian youth with decision-makers and representatives of national and international institutions.
This year, the summit addressed pivotal issues such as the equitable distribution of aid, the future of education and work, and the role of youth in leading recovery efforts from the impacts of war. It emphasized that youth participation is a fundamental pathway to rebuilding a more just and accountable society.
Watch: The second session of the Youth Summit 2025