Attachments
1. General Overview
The entire population of the Gaza Strip (1.8 million) has been affected directly or indirectly by collapsing buildings and infrastructure during the Last summer conflict due to aerial bombardment and ground operations during Operation Protective Edge (OPE).
At the height of the conflict more than 338,000 people fled from their homes, mainly from areas east of the Salah El Din Road, to seek refuge at the UNRWA and Government Schools located all over the Gaza Strip. Post-OPE the number of IDPs quickly fall to 55,000 in early September and to 20,000 by early December 2014 in addition to significant numbers sheltering in private homes with host families, makeshifts, or rented accommodations.
Israeli “Operation Protective Edge" has resulted in more than 10,000 destroyed housing units and about 6,000 housing units sustaining severe damage and rendered uninhabitable. In addition, over 102,000 housing units have suffered minor to major damage. This damage coupled with pending caseloads (around 5,000 Housing units in total) that require reconstruction from previous wars, is putting further strain on chronic overcrowding and housing shortages in the Gaza Strip.
The import of materials for reconstruction (cement, aggregate, and reinforcement bar) is strictly controlled. The Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM) is designed to allow reconstruction materials into Gaza, including cement, reinforcement bar and aggregate. The mechanism is in its early stages and has yet to achieve the pace of materials delivery required. The continued closure of the Rafah border to materials is exacerbating the problem.
The impending winter and high levels of housing damage coupled with delays in funding and materials supply are forcing the prioritisation of emergency winterisation over durable repairs making the response more costly than it need be.
Investment in WASH infrastructure has lagged behind urban growth leading to drainage and evacuation networks becoming undersized compared to needs. The additional diminution of network capacity caused by damage to wastewater and sewage networks and pumping stations coupled with debris blocking drainage channels and neighbourhoods will exacerbate any potential for flooding this winter rendering more households displaced and re-displaced as a result of OPE.
In order of importance the shelter needs for the families displaced from destroyed and severely damaged uninhabitable housing units is being met mostly through host families , rented accommodation, collective centre capacity and prefabricated units while many families are likely to be staying at home in housing units that are not fit for winter.