Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
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Between 7 October and 20 November 2023, the conflict escalation in the Gaza Strip caused severe humanitarian consequences, and at least 12,700 Palestinians, including more than 5,350 children, have been reported killed since the start of hostilities.
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More than 80 per cent of the population of the Gaza Strip – 1.8 million people – is internally displaced and faces a calamitous humanitarian situation. The population's access to basic necessities such as water, electricity and health services is severely limited.
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UNICEF is providing immediate life-saving assistance in the Gaza Strip, supporting conflict-affected and displaced people through supply delivery, partners and remote service provision. Since 21 October, UNICEF has rapidly procured and distributed life-saving supplies cross-border through Egypt, and is among the top five aid organizations moving supplies from Egypt into Gaza. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, UNICEF is scaling up humanitarian preparedness and addressing immediate needs.
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UNICEF requires $168.3 million for its response in the State of Palestine to sustain genderresponsive WASH, health, child protection and education services in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and fund multipurpose cash assistance.
KEY PLANNED TARGETS
780,000 people supported through UNICEF delivered medical supplies and services
504,900 children provided with explosive weapons prevention and/or survivor assistance
2.1 million people accessing a sufficient quantity and quality of water
35,000 households reached with UNICEF-funded humanitarian cash transfers
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION AND NEEDS
An estimated 3.1 million people require humanitarian assistance in the State of Palestine, 2.2 million in the Gaza Strip and 900,000 in the West Bank. The Gaza Strip has tragically witnessed the loss of thousands of children and women, and the escalation of conflict which began on 7 October compounds the protracted protection crisis there.
Following intensive bombardments, according to the Ministry of Health, as of 20 November, 12,700 Palestinians, including 5,350 children, had been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of hostilities. Among other impacts, this has resulted in an estimated additional 2,056 femaleheaded households. An additional 30,000 Palestinians are reportedly injured, including more than 8,663 children. The situation of internally displaced people is catastrophic: an estimated 1.8 million internally displaced people are residing in shelters run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and in hospitals, public buildings, nonUNRWA schools and with host families.
The Gaza Strip faces an almost complete electricity blackout. According to the Palestinian Water Authority, the current water production capacity has been reduced to between 4 and 40 per cent of the normal daily production, leading people to consume unsafe water and limiting access to WASH services, especially concerning for children and adolescent girls.
From 7 October to 28 November, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 203 health attacks in the Gaza Strip and 224 in the West Bank. Access to essential health services, including emergency obstetric care and newborn care, is severely limited, particularly for women and girls. Before the conflict, the State of Palestine faced a high burden of mental health issues: according to WHO, more than 485,000 people (including children) with severe or moderate mental health disorders were reported in the Gaza Strip. Since the escalation, 625,000 children have been unable to access education, with 246 attacks on schools.
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is also experiencing increased violence, particularly in the context of the operations of Israeli forces and resulting confrontations. As of 29 November, at least 232 Palestinians had been reported killed since October 7, including 64 children. Access restrictions have been imposed throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, isolating Palestinian communities and severely limiting their access to essential services. In the West Bank, schools have also been heavily affected by movement restrictions, military operations and settler violence.
Israeli sources report that at least 1,200 Israelis and and foreign nationals have been killed, and according to Israeli authorities, 240 Israelis were abducted into the Gaza Strip, including around 35 children.