Attachments
Now in its 12th month, the war in Gaza shows little signs of abating. Gaza’s protection crisis has reached catastrophic proportions and the humanitarian partners’ ability to deliver remains severely constrained by extreme insecurity, access denials, restrictions for entry of critical equipment, chronic underfunding and the complete breakdown of law and order. While Protection Cluster partners are continuing their work against all odds, alongside other aid workers, they have been squeezed into an ever-shrinking space, struggling to provide assistance to the decimated population of Gaza.
The current conflict has wreaked havoc on the human rights situation in Gaza. The people have been stripped of every shred of dignity, having been forced to displace, again and again, in search of safety. The living conditions are abominable, mountains of solid waste are filling the streets, and deadly diseases are spreading fast. Coupled with massive destruction of infrastructure, the very basics of life are missing. To date, the conflict has impacted over 60 per cent of the residential buildings, 80 per cent of the commercial sector and damaged 84 per cent of health and rehabilitation facilities. There are numerous reports of Israeli military’s systematic failure to comply with international law, coupled with growing rates of gender-based violence (GBV), child protection and unexploded ordnance risks that have become the “new normal.”
All families are having to resort to harmful and unsustainable coping mechanisms including reducing food intake, consuming contaminated water, selling any personal items of value, managing menstruation needs in a way that puts women’s health at risk. Reduced coping mechanisms are also likely to result in increased risks specifically for women and children, such as early or forced marriage or engaging in survival sex. Many young children have been orphaned, leaving them extremely vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) if they have no surviving extended family.