Responding to emergency needs amidst shrinking humanitarian space in the Occupied Palestinian Territory | January – June 2024

Introduction

In 2024 the UN and partners called for a total of US $3.42 billion to address the most urgent needs of more than three million people in the Gaza Strip (Gaza) and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem1.

The Flash Appeal outlined the estimated resource requirements to reduce human suffering and prevent further loss of life in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, based on the best available information at the time. The document assumed that security concerns and access limitations would continue through mid-2024, then improve incrementally, and that efforts to implement Security Council Resolution 2720 (2023) would bear fruit.

This document highlights some of the work that was done by humanitarian actors in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) between January and June 2024. It is not a comprehensive report on all activities. Instead, it aims to spotlight some of the innovations and personal stories of how the UN, INGOs and NGOs have influenced the lives of people we seek to assist.

The landscape in the OPT has fundamentally changed since 7 October 2023. Decades of occupation, political instability, and isolation due to the Gaza blockade, barrier wall and movement restrictions had left the population heavily reliant on aid to meet basic needs. In both Gaza and the West Bank, the ability of Palestinians to access lifesaving services has dramatically decreased while protection concerns have exponentially increased.

In Gaza, the Israeli bombardment and ground incursions have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, resulting in significant civilian casualties, widespread displacement, and the destruction of critical infrastructure. As of 30 June 2024, at least 37,718 Palestinian fatalities and 85,523 injuries had been reported by the Ministry of Health. At the time of writing, evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military covered approximately 85 per cent of Gaza. 1.9 million people, or approximately 90 per cent of the population have been displaced, often many multiple times.

In the West Bank, this period has seen increased settler violence, demolitions and restriction of movement in the West Bank, leading to further displacement, disruption of livelihoods and unsafe living conditions. Between October 7, 2023, and June 30, 2024, the conflict in the West Bank resulted in the deaths of at least 587 Palestinians, including 143 children, who were killed at an average rate of one every two days, according to OCHA and UNICEF.

Over the first half of 2024, humanitarian actors saw their operating space significantly contract. Access and movement restrictions of people and humanitarian cargo in and/or out of Gaza, and within Gaza, remain fundamental impediments to the provision of humanitarian assistance, along with security impediments arising from the ongoing hostilities and breakdown of law and order within Gaza. During this period, 273 humanitarian workers were killed in Gaza, 200 UNRWA staff members.

Gaza remains a war zone with active and ongoing military operations. Evacuation orders are near daily occurrences, resulting in a population that is constantly on the move, which means operations need to also move. Asset losses are high, and the psychological impact is great. Amidst unprecedented challenges, humanitarian actors have continued to operate. To do so has required that they constantly adapt, innovate and identify creative solutions to complex problems on a daily basis.