State of Palestine Humanitarian Situation Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
State of Palestine Humanitarian Situation Report Gaza Strip State of Palestine January – June 2018 water in her home ©UNICEF/ ©UNICEF/ waterSOP/ her in home Eyad El Baba running A her from girl hands is washing Highlights • Since the start of the demonstrations associated with the “Great March of Return” on 1,300,000 # of children affected out of total 2.5m 30th March, 135 people have been killed, including 17 children in Gaza. More than people in need (UN OCHA Humanitarian HRP 15,501 people were injured, 8,221 (53%) of them hospitalized. According to MoH, 2,947 2018) children were injured, comprising 19% of total injures as of 30 June, 2018. • The current deterioration of the situation in Gaza and rising tensions in the West Bank 2,500,000 trigger urgent funding needs for child protection, health, WASH and education # of people in need (UN OCHA Humanitarian HRP 2018) interventions to address the growing humanitarian needs. Only US$ 9.1 million or 36 per cent of the initial requirements was available as of 30 June, 2018. 652,000 • A total of 718 injured children have been supported by Child Protection/Mental Health # of children to be reached and Psychosocial Services (MHPSS) working group members through home visits, and (UNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children 2018) Psychological First Aid; children in need of more specialized care were referred to case management, utilizing the child protection referral pathways. This includes those who 729,000 # of people to be reached have parents, siblings, relatives or friends injured or killed during demonstrations. (UNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children 2018) • Prepositioned essential drugs and medical consumables were released to cover emergency medical care for 111,532 children and their families. • A rapid assessment was launched in the Hebron Governorate in June 2018 to better determine the vulnerabilities, resilience, coping mechanisms, and service delivery gaps UNICEF Appeal 2018 for children. US$ 25.8 million • Emergency education supplies and materials were delivered to 48,895 children in Gaza. Funding Status* • UNICEFUNICEF Response provided with fuel Partners to operate generators in examination centers enabling 28,114 Grade 12 students in Gaza to undertake the Tawjihi Examinations. US$ 9.1 million UNICEF Response Cluster Responses 2018 2018 Total Total Overall needs Target Results Target Results WASH: # of people in humanitarian situation 1,045,000 155,521 26,640 539,000 35,371 benefited from improved access to water Child Protection; # of children 321,159 benefiting from structured child 51,386 2,549 155,246 18,406 protection interventions including life skills programs Education: # of children and teachers benefiting from 8,537 8,500 5,544 8,500 5,544 protective presence / accompaniment to school Health:# of children <5 and women benefiting from improved health and nutritional 388,453 200,000 32,300 200,000 32,300 services from hospitals, clinics and outreach teams Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs In 2018, the number of people in need is at 2.5 million, with 90% of these people living in the Gaza Strip. Gaza’s security situation is extremely fragile and unpredictable. Roughly 1.8 million people are in need of WASH emergency services, as they suffer from poor water quality due to poor infrastructure, restrictions on fuel supplies and acute power cuts. Furthermore, with the escalation in violence, injuries and deaths, more children are in need of mental health, psychosocial support and safety and protection. Gaza continues its trajectory of de-development despite initial hopes of an improvement in the socio-economic situation and movement and access emanating from the Cairo agreement for reconciliation during late 2017. Record levels of unemployment in Gaza currently sit at 48.2% (PCBS Census 2017) compounding the widespread prevalence of poverty, reducing purchasing power and increasing people’s reliance on humanitarian aid with more than 80%1 of the population dependent on some form of assistance. Salaries of civil servants have, since April 2017, continued to be paid at a reduced rate (UN OCHA). Chronic and recurrent power and water shortages negatively impact children and their families across the Gaza strip, with households receiving on average only 73 liters of water per person per day (i.e. well below WHO standards) and about two thirds of the water they use for drinking is micro-biologically contaminated.2 Additionally, the risk of escalation in military confrontations with Israel remains high. While the ceasefire from 2014 remains in place, it is regularly tested by systematic and hostile activities between Palestinian armed groups (rocket and mortar fire, IED explosions, incendiary kites and balloons and targeting of patrols along the fence) and Israeli forces (missile strikes, incursions, tunnel destruction). In largely peaceful demonstrations associated with the “Great March of Return “, which began on 30th March, 135 people have been killed including 17 children. More than 15,501 injured with 53% of these people hospitalized, while 47% were treated at field medical points and primary health care centers. A total of 2,947 children were injured, comprising 19% of total injured, with 50.6% of injuries were to the lower limbs, 7.2% to the head and neck and 48.9% of injures were from live bullets. On 14th May 2018, the highest casualty toll in a single day since the 2014 hostilities was recorded in the Gaza Strip. A death toll of 60 Palestinians was recorded and another 2,770 were injured, nearly half by live ammunition. On 15th May, two Palestinians were killed and 417 injured amidst demonstrations with several hundred-people gathered at the five tent camps along the perimeter fence to mark the 70th anniversary of the 1948 ‘Nakba’, the day on which the State of Israel was established in 1948. Multiple demonstrations continued to take place across the West Bank, some of which evolved into clashes with Israeli security forces, mainly at checkpoints with at least 166 Palestinians, including four children, were injured. In recent months, the Israeli authorities have passed or advanced new legislation that will significantly limit the ability of individuals and human rights organizations to challenge the demolition or seizure of Palestinian properties in Area C and East Jerusalem.3 Estimated Population in Need of Humanitarian Assistance 4 (Estimates calculated based on initial figures from Humanitarian Response Strategy 2018) Start of humanitarian response: Jan, 20185 Total Male Female Total Population in Need 2,500,000 1,272,500 1,227,500 Children (Under 18) 1,100,000 559,900 540,100 Total people to be reached 729,000 371,061 357,939 Total children to be reached 652,000 331,868 320,132 Humanitarian Leadership and Coordination UNICEF is part of the UN Country Team and Humanitarian Country Team and regularly coordinates its action with other organizations and local stakeholders. Within this partnership, UNICEF leads the WASH Cluster and shares some of these responsibilities with the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA). Furthermore, UNICEF in partnership with Save the Children co-leads the Education cluster in Gaza, as well as the Education in Emergencies Sector 1 UNRWA 2018 records 2 Survey of Private and Public Brackish Desalination Plants in Gaza Strip, CEP, PWA, GiZ, September 2015. 3 OCHA Humanitarian Bulletin June 2018 4 OCHA Humanitarian Response Strategy 2018 5 Disaggregated based on 2018 PCBS population figures (50.9% male and 49.1% female) Working Group in the West Bank. Within the Protection Cluster, UNICEF leads the Child Protection Working Group and the Mental Health and Psychosocial Services (MHPSS) group. UNICEF co-leads the Nutrition Working Group under the Health Cluster, in Gaza as well as at the national level, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and WHO. Humanitarian Strategy UNICEF and partners will continue to foster synergy between humanitarian and development assistance in the State of Palestine, while emphasizing emergency preparedness. UNICEF supports neonatal emergency health care, postnatal care, and early childhood development, focusing on children with developmental delays and disabilities. The recent downturn in the security situation implies that the strengthening of child protection systems remains a top priority in UNICEF’s action, including case management and referrals, psychosocial support, legal aid and counselling, focusing on adolescents and addressing negative coping mechanisms. With the deterioration of the water and sanitation situation and the ongoing energy crisis, UNICEF provides safe drinking water through solar power, water tank rehabilitation and network upgrades. Households are supported with drinking water taps, latrines, sewage connections and hygiene promotion activities. UNICEF also supports flood mitigation activities in high-risk areas. Monitoring and reporting on grave child rights violations and other assessments inform evidence- based advocacy for improved child protection. UNICEF supports children crossing checkpoints in the West Bank with protective accompaniment to ensure safer access to schools. Children will also benefit from educational supplies and remedial learning, as well as emergency preparedness activities targeting adolescents. UNICEF will continue its coordination role in the areas of WASH, education and child protection. Summary Analysis of Programme Response UNICEF is working in close collaboration with key partners and stakeholders to protect the rights of children