UNITED NATIONS Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN THE OCTOBER 2011

FAST FACTS � The population of Gaza is 1.6 million, with over 50% under 18. � 38% of Gazans live in poverty. � 26% of the Gazan workforce, including 38% of youths, is unemployed. � The average wage declined by over 20% in the past six years. � 54% of Gazans are food insecure and over 75% are aid recipients. � 35% of Gaza’s farmland and 85% of its fishing waters are totally or partially inaccessible due to Israeli military measures. � 50-80 million litres of partially treated sewage are dumped in the sea each day. � Over 90% of the water from the Gaza aquifer is undrinkable. � 85% of schools in Gaza run on double shifts. � About one-third of the items in the essential drug list are out of stock. � Since the beginning of 2010, 64 Palestinian civilians have been killed and 621 injured by Israeli forces; over 60% of casualties occurred in the access-restricted areas. Another 60 civilians were killed and 137 were injured in tunnel-related accidents

1. The Gaza blockade (through the land, air agencies, as well as by the limited capacity at the and sea) is a denial of basic human rights single crossing for goods. The internal Palestinian in contravention of international law divide is an additional factor undermining the and amounts to collective punishment. quality of vital services. It severely restricts imports and exports, as 4. Lack of respect for international well as the movement of people in and out of humanitarian law has continued to result Gaza, and access to agricultural land and fishing in civilian casualties, particularly during waters. Gazans are unable to provide for their escalations in armed clashes and while families and the quality of infrastructure and vital enforcing access restrictions to border services has deteriorated. areas. 2. Despite measures taken to ease the 5. Thousands of people, many of them blockade in June 2010 the humanitarian children, risk their lives smuggling goods situation has remained extremely fragile. through the tunnels under the border While imports have increased, they are still at with Egypt every day. The thriving tunnel less than 40% of the pre-2007 levels. Exports industry is a direct result of ongoing restrictions remain tightly restricted and are limited to on the import of construction materials, the agricultural produce to Europe, and Gazan lack of employment opportunities, and the huge businesses cannot access their traditional reconstruction needs in Gaza. markets in and the . Access to land and sea remains highly restricted. 6. Gazans remain isolated and cut off from the rest of the occupied Palestinian 3. Only a minority of the projects aimed territory. Entry into the West Bank, either at improving housing and vital services via the Israeli Erez crossing or via , is in Gaza, submitted for approval by the prohibited for all Gazans. The volume of people international community, have been allowed through the Egyptian Crossing

approved by the Israeli authorities. remains limited, with hundreds denied passage Implementation of approved projects is impeded each week. by funding shortages affecting the operating

P. O. Box 38712 East Jerusalem 91386 l tel. +972 (0)2 582 9962 l fax +972 (0)2 582 5841 l [email protected] l www.ochaopt.org UnitedU ni Nationst ed N Officea t ion for sthe OCoordinationf fi c e f oof r Humanitarian t h e C oo Affairsr dina t ion o f H u m a n i t a r i a n A f f air s GAZAGaza S tSTRIP:rip: Acce ssACCESS Restricte dRESTRICTED Areas and Affecte dAREAS Localities October 2011 August 2010

a As-Siafa e Umm An-Naser S Erez

n Beit Lahiya a e Beit Hanoun n Jabalia a r r Gaza City s e e t il m i l d a ic e ut a M n 3 Juhor ad Dik

Al

Al Maghazi

Deir al Balah

Wadi as Salqa

Al Qarara

I S R A E L

Khan Yunis 'Abasan al Kabira

Khuza'a

Al Fukhkhari No-Go Zone Rafah High Risk Area Maritime No-Go Zone E G Y P T Shokat as Sufi Rafah Built-up Area Green Line (1949 Armistice)

0 2 4 8 Affected Locality Km Kerem Shalom Crossing

2 FACT SHEET October 2011