Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
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Jamie McGoldrick, the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, stated on 6 March that hunger in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels, calling for a plan to address the crisis which includes the use of access road used by the military to reach northern Gaza.
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On 4 March, the UNRWA Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, addressed the UN General Assembly and warned that UNRWA is functioning ‘hand-to-mouth’ and that the fate of the Agency ‘hangs in the balance.’ The Commissioner-General also stated that ‘UNRWA’s mandate embodies the promise of a fair and lasting political solution’ and that ‘dismantling the Agency in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, would only serve those who oppose such a solution.’
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The shelter rapid assessment was piloted in Rafah across 33 UNRWA designated sites, over 40% of which are schools. Main findings reveal that one meter square is the average per person per shelter, 93% of people find that the shelters do not provide enough privacy, and 67% of families are sharing one shelter.
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The WASH rapid assessment was also completed and covered 41 sites and 608,754 individuals. General findings revealed that people only have access to 2 litres of water per day, 80% of all sites have non-functional latrines, 61% of shelters have no showers and hygiene materials are mostly unavailable.
SITUATION OVERVIEW
The latest large-scale escalation of conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory on 7 October 2023 has led to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Intense Israeli bombardment and ground operations as well as heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups continue to be reported across much of the Gaza Strip. As of 25 February, UNRWA estimates that some 75 per cent of Gaza’s population (1.7 million out of 2.3 million people) more than half of whom are children, are displaced.. Most are living in makeshift structures, tents, or out in the open. Access to basic services remains severely limited — the lack of food, water, fuel, basic items and poor hygiene practices, further exacerbate people’s living conditions, amplifying protection and mental health risks, as well as the risks associated to the spread of disease. Hospitals in Gaza continue to face severe disruptions in providing health care. On 4 March, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that, since the onset of the conflict, 155 health facilities had been damaged, and 32 hospitals and 53 health centres had been rendered non-functional, due to attacks or shortages of essentials. Hunger in the enclave has grown exponentially since the start of the crisis and over 81% of those displaced lack access to safe water. Long clearance procedures for humanitarian aid trucks at the border, intense ground operation and fighting, frequent disruption in communication, along with increased insecurity, blocked roads, and scarcity of fuel, pose significant challenges to humanitarian operations.
IOM is urgently appealing for USD 69 million to support its response to the rising critical humanitarian needs of hundreds of thousands of civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories and neighbouring countries affected by the ongoing hostilities. Your support is critical in our mission to deliver emergency aid to displaced families in Gaza and in surrounding countries impacted by the crisis and hostilities.