Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
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On 1 April, seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) staff members were killed due to multiple Israeli airstrikes on their convoy, as they were departing their warehouse in Deir al Balah after unloading more than 100 tons of humanitarian aid supplies brought to Gaza via the maritime route.
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UN humanitarians in Gaza have suspended operations at night for at least 48 hours in response to the killing of seven aid workers from the WCK This will allow for further evaluation of the security issues that impact both personnel on the ground and the people they are trying to serve.
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On 1 April, Israel’s military has withdrawn from Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, after a 14-day siege, that left widespread destruction and mass casualties. The hospital can no longer accommodate any patients—leaving Gaza and the northern Gaza Strip without a single public hospital operating at the scale of Al-Shifa.
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On 1 April, an Israeli airstrike on the building of the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus killed at least eleven people, including a senior Iranian commander and six Syrian civilians.
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On 24 March, the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, met with the President of Egypt and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Following the meeting, the SG submitted a Note Verbal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) with the goal of improving the effectiveness of the UN operations in support of Gaza from Egypt.
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 1 April, UNRWA estimates that some 75 per cent of Gaza’s population (1.75 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 to non-existent — 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. WHO confirmed the destruction of Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza and one of the oldest Palestinian health institutions, following a two-week long military offensive and siege by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). Only 10 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are still able to function. Humanitarian operations continue to be seriously hampered by long clearance procedures; rejection of goods and supplies at inspection; lack of fuel; massive destruction impeding access; the threat of unexploded ordinance; active hostilities; lack of security and breakdown of law and order preventing the delivery of much needed aid.
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 Territory 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.