Attachments
Introduction
The magnitude of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unprecedented. This updated UNRWA oPt Flash Appeal1 seeks US$ 481 million to cover the most critical humanitarian needs of an estimated 1.6 million people in Gaza, both refugees and non-refugees, and around 150,000 persons in the West Bank, for the period October – 31 December 2023.
On 7 October, Palestinian armed groups launched attacks on Israel in which approximately 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, including women, children and older people, and reportedly over 242 were taken hostage. The government of Israel subsequently launched a military offensive in Gaza with heavy and sustained bombardment, and a self-described siege.
Regular water, fuel and electricity supplies to Gaza have been cut. Only minimal quantities of basic supplies have been permitted to enter since 21 October – food, medicines, water and relief items.
According to the Ministry of Health, over 10,0002 Palestinians had been killed in the hostilities3 , of whom two-thirds are women and children, consistent with their share of the overall population. Amongst the dead are, as of 7 November 2023, 92 UNRWA personnel, many of whom died along with their families; many more UNRWA personnel are missing, possibly trapped beneath the rubble of buildings. Tens of thousands of people have been injured amid widespread damage to homes and public infrastructure. Within 16 days of the start of the conflict, at least 45 percent of Gaza’s housing stock had reportedly been destroyed or damaged4 . As of 5 November 2023, approximately 1.5 million people had been forcibly displaced within Gaza, or around 70 percent of the total population. An estimated 730,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are sheltering in 151 UNRWA facilities, of whom 570,000 have sought refuge in 94 installations in the Middle, Khan Younis and Rafah areas. Nearly 160,000 IDPs were sheltering in 57 UNRWA schools in the North and Gaza areas as of 12 October 2023, i.e. prior to an evacuation order issued by the Israeli authorities5 .
The situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has also deteriorated significantly since 7 October, and is extremely volatile. An increase in the number of large-scale operations by Israeli forces and armed clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians particularly in refugee camps, have resulted in record-high levels of fatalities, injuries, and high numbers of arrests. In this volatile and tense environment, widespread Israeli settler violence is also causing Palestinian casualties and placing Palestinian communities, including refugee communities, at risk of being displaced. Mobility restrictions in place throughout the West Bank since 7 October significantly constrain the movement of both Palestinian communities and humanitarian actors, preventing vulnerable Palestinians from accessing basic services, including healthcare and education.
In Gaza, UNRWA is urgently seeking funding to cover the daily distribution of basic food rations (ready-to-eat meals) for 1.6 million people, including refugees and non-refugees in UNRWA shelters and other refugees in the community. Through this appeal UNRWA will also provide primary health care at Agency health centres and mobile medical points located in the shelters, which are equipped with emergency, trauma and delivery kits. Inside shelters, non-food items (NFIs), such as mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets and hygiene kits, will be provided for at least 800,000 IDPs.
Furthermore, psycho-social support and recreational activities will be provided to IDPs sheltering at UNRWA facilities, particularly children. If the situation allows, other education in emergencies interventions, such as starting up temporary learning spaces, may be initiated. Displaced Palestine refugees hosted with families and friends in the community will also be supported through this Appeal, including with one-off multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA).
Many of the approximately 13,000 UNRWA personnel in Gaza, the majority of whom are themselves Palestine refugees, are working around the clock to provide humanitarian services assistance. UNRWA senior management continues to reach out to relevant parties to reiterate the neutrality and inviolability of all UNRWA premises and to advocate for unhindered humanitarian access, including safe passage for staff to deliver critical assistance to those in most need.
The interventions planned for Gaza in this Appeal can only be implemented if the following planning assumptions are met (as outlined in the Inter-Agency Flash Appeal for the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) prepared by OCHA)6 :
i. Humanitarian actors must have safe and sustained access to all people in need, across the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
ii. Sufficient quantities of fuel must be made available to allow for humanitarian actors to function.
iii. The flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza must increase.
iv. Funding must be timely and flexible to allow for humanitarian actors to adapt programming to a highly dynamic context.
In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, funds are needed to assist around 150,000 vulnerable Palestine refugees, including abject poor, residents of isolated communities and Palestinians from Gaza displaced to the West Bank, to meet their basic needs, through the provision of MPCA. The Agency will also extend basic healthcare services to around 80,000 Palestine refugees living in isolated and remote communities, which are impacted by heightened access restrictions.
UNRWA will expand its protection response for vulnerable Palestine refugees, including women, children and displaced communities, and pre-position items and assets as preparedness actions ahead of the potential further deterioration of the security situation.
Through this Appeal, UNRWA is also seeking funds for emergency preparedness measures in Lebanon, in anticipation of a potential mass displacement of Palestine refugees, particularly in the areas of Saida and Tyre, in the southern part of the country. Finally, funds are also sought for key coordination, support and technical positions at UNRWA HQ, in areas such as humanitarian affairs, protection, information management and emergency logistics, which are critical to support the Agency’s response in Gaza and the West Bank.
The humanitarian needs in this document are also reflected in the OCHA Inter-Agency Flash Appeal for the oPt and will be updated as the situation evolves7 .
This Flash Appeal replaces the Gaza component of the UNRWA 2023 Emergency Appeal (EA) and complements the West Bank and HQ components of the 2023 EA8 . The response in this Appeal can only be implemented if UNRWA also receives the necessary funding for its regular programme budget, which is the foundation for all Agency services in Gaza and all other fields of operation.