Attachments
Highlights
• On 5 March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak with confirmed cases in Bethlehem, the Palestinian Prime Minister declared a State of Emergency across the State of Palestine (SoP) to contain the spread of COVID-19. As of the 31st of March, over 1,700 people (12 children) were placed in quarantine facilities and around 5,900 people in domestic quarantine in the West Bank and Gaza. Over 117 confirmed COVID19 infections including 12 children, 19 recoveries and one death were reported in the SoP. An emergency inter-agency COVID-19 Response plan for USD 34 million was launched on 27 March 2020 in support to provide multi-sector interventions benefiting the most vulnerable people including women and children.
• In response, UNICEF in coordination with Health Cluster partners procured and facilitated delivery of essential and lifesaving medical equipment, drugs and consumables for 13 health facilities in Gaza to the benefit of 3,000 high-risk women. 1,400 new-borns and young children received quality health care services from the six maternity hospitals, clinics and seven neonatal intensive care units.
• UNICEF and local partners in Gaza reached over 3,700 vulnerable children with child protection services including structured psychosocial support through community level Family Centers.
• 3,226 vulnerable families (23,071 people) in Gaza including 98 families affected by floods during the rainy season accessed additional hygiene materials through UNICEFfunded vouchers.
• UNICEF finalized the offshore procurement of 60,000 protective gowns and 13,000 surgical masks in support of the Ministry of Health (MoH) and WHO as part of key steps to support infection prevention and control measures in response to COVID-19.
• As of 31 March 2020, 80% of humanitarian funding needs remained unmet with only US$3.8 million available to undertake humanitarian action for both Gaza and the West Bank.
Funding Overview and Partnerships
In 2020, UNICEF received significant emergency funding from Japan and the UNICEF Global Thematic Humanitarian Fund. The 2020 UNICEF Humanitarian Appeal funding requirement is for US$ 19.6 million of which US$ 1.9 million (10 percent) was received to date with an additional 10 percent of the funding having been carried forward from 2019 into 2020.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
The protracted and acute crises continue to generate severe humanitarian needs and protection concerns among the Palestinian populations of the West Bank including East Jerusalem, and Gaza. The deterioration in living conditions in Gaza affects about one million children.
The COVID-19 crisis, with cases confirmed in the West Bank as of early March 2020, further exacerbates the existing vulnerabilities and limits children’s access to critical services such as basic health care and education, as well as protection.
During the first quarter of 2020, although the Great March of Return weekly protests were suspended for a period of three months the over stretched systems have struggled to meet the needs of injured children and their families. Children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have been affected by increases in insecurity, attacks on schools, settler violence, forcible transfer and movement restrictions. Children in contact with security forces, especially boys, continued to face grave protection risks, with potential long-term impacts. Services to address gender-based violence also remain insufficient nationwide in Palestine.
Low intensity hostilities between Israel and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza continued throughout the month of February, without resulting in civilian fatalities. An escalation took place in February 2020 affecting children in Gaza and in Israel. Access restrictions on people and goods between Gaza and Israel tightened intermittently in the context of these hostilities. Imports of goods through Kerem Shalom crossing declined and exit of people via Erez crossing also decreased compared to previous months. Water supply to Rafah area was disrupted, following damage to a water installation during the escalation.