GAZA STRIP: SNAPSHOT - MAY 2020 MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS Nautical1.5 miles Nautical15 miles PROHIBITED AREA* - As part of the measures to contain the pandemic, the 6 de facto authorities announced the full closure of the Nautical miles two passenger crossings, from 23 May till the end of Erez Beit Lahiya ¹ ! June; however, limited movement through the Erez ! Jabalya ! Beit crossing with Israel, continued in both directions. Hanoun ® Gaza City ! - Exit of people through the Erez crossing has been also AREA ! INTERMITTENTLY Ash Shuja’iyeh disrupted following the suspension of coordination Nahal Oz ACCESSIBLE Karni between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel GAZA while movement of goods through the Kerem Shalom 21 Mediterranean300"J! Sea crossing remained unchanged. MediterraneanDeir al Balah Sea Nautical1 miles - A week-long heat wave triggered power cuts of 12 ISRAEL hours per day, up from nine hours during the rest of the month. ! D D D D D D Khan Yunis D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D Khuza’a D Crossing Point - The unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2020 ! stood at 46 per cent, the same as during the EGYPT 14389 Closed Crossing Point Rafah Salah Ad Din ! Armistice Declaration Line equivalent period in 2019; the figure only partially gate Sufa International Boundary ¹º» Rafah captures the impact of the COVID-19 measures, *Fishing area under Oslo 5 Km ¹º» Kerem imposed since March. Shalom Accords (20 NM) PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS AND CASUALTIES - One rocket was fired from Gaza towards Israel, after which Israeli forces shelled military sites in Gaza; no injuries were reported. - On at least 88 occasions, Israeli forces opened fire near its perimeter fence around Gaza and off the coast, presumably to restrict Palestinian access to these areas; four fishermen were injured. - On four occasions, Israeli bulldozers entered Gaza and carried out land levelling near the perimeter fence. Comprehensive data on conflict-related casualties is available at OCHA’s interactive database. https://www.ochaopt.org/data/casualties https://www.ochaopt.org/data/casualtiesClick here NUMBER OF ACCESS-RELATED SHOOTING INCIDENTS BY ISRAELI FORCES ON LAND AND AT SEA 121 102 87 88 65 58 52 2018 2019 Jan Feb Mar Apr May 2020 Monthly average Feedback: [email protected] www.ochaopt.org www.ochaopt.org/gaza-crossings/ facebook.com/ochaopt @ochaopt Information on the status of border crossings and numbers of truckloads is based on data provided by the Gaza Ministry of National Economy, UNRWA, UNSCO and Paltrade (Palestine Trade Center). ACCESS - 233 exits of permit holders were recorded via the Erez crossing during May, nearly the same as in April; since the outbreak of COVID-19 and the ensuing restrictions on movement, only urgent cases have been allowed out via the crossing. - About 550 people returned to Gaza via Erez, 45 per cent more than in April; all returning people have been sent to a mandatory quarantine for 21 days. - In response to Israel intention to annex parts of the West Bank, the PA is no longer receiving applications for exit permits from Gaza, except for cases where this could save lives;* some patients’ applications have been forwarded to the Israeli authorities by human rights organizations. - 1,168 people entered Gaza from Egypt during a three-day re-opening of the Rafah crossing between 12 and 14 May; no exits were recorded since 11 March. - 7,667 truckloads of goods entered Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, 12 per cent more than in April, and another 432 entered through the Rafah Crossing with Egypt, 20 per cent less than in April. - Some 280 truckloads carrying mostly agricultural produce exited Gaza to the West Bank (77 per cent), Israel (13 per cent) and markets abroad (10 per cent), a slight increase compared with April. Comprehensive data on Gaza crossings is available at OCHA’s interactive database. https://www.ochaopt.org/data/crossings * The PA’s processing of exceptional cases was halted too during June. Clickhttps://www.ochaopt.org/data/crossings here EXITS OF PEOPLE INTO ISRAEL EXISTS AND ENTRIES OF TRUCKLOADS ENTERING GAZA TRUCKLOADS ENTERING GAZA FROM THROUGH EREZ PEOPLE THROUGH RAFAH FROM EGYPT THROUGH RAFAH ISRAEL FROM KEREM SHALOM 1,569 27k Entries to Gaza 9.7k 7.2k 6k 8.7k 22k 5.7k 4.1k 1,114 8.4k 8.0k 8.3k 3k 1,022 7.7k 1.5k 1.6k 1.2 6.8k 16k 6.3k 633 Exits to Egypt 539 9.5k 425 6.9k 6.5k 6.7k 6.5k 432 5.8k 5k 158 1.4k 2.2k 229 233 0 0 Feb Mar Apr May 2017 2018 2019 Jan Feb Mar Apr May 2017 2018 2019 Jan Feb Mar Apr May 2017 2018 2019 Jan 2017 2018 2019 Jan Feb Mar Apr May 2020 2020 2020 2020 Monthly average Monthly average Monthly average Monthly average Source: OCHA/Palestinian Ministry of Civil Affairs Source: OCHA/Palestinian Ministry of Civil Affairs Source: OCHA/Palestinian Ministry of National Economy Source: OCHA/Palestinian Ministry of National Economy SERVICES, LIVELIHOODS AND SHELTER - 160 exit permit applications by patients referred to hospitals in the West Bank, mostly in East Jerusalem, were submitted in May, of which two-thirds were approved; the number of applications represents only 10 per cent of the monthly average submitted in the first quarter of 2020. - The percentage of essential drugs at zero stock (less than a month supply) stood at 43 per cent, the same as during April 2020. - The pollution level of the wastewater discharged into the sea increased by 24 per cent compared with April, due to repair works underway at Gaza city’s sewage treatment facility. Seawater samples taken this month showed that about 77 per cent of the total seashore are highly polluted. - To ensure availability of adequate power supply at the European Gaza hospital, which An interactive database on electricity supply in Gaza is available at is designated for the treatment of people with COVID-19, the ICRC increased the OCHA’s website. https://www.ochaopt.org/page/ga- Clickza-strip-electricity-supply here capacity of the facility’s backup generator and optimized its fuel consumption. POLLUTION LEVELS OF WASTEWATER FLOWS INTO THE SEA PATIENTS’ APPLICATIONS FOR EXIT PERMITS VIA ISRAEL MG/LITRE of BOD* May 115MG/LITRE April 93MG/LITRE 2020 March 92MG/LITRE February 128MG/LITRE Number of medical applications 2,151 2,158 January 138MG/LITRE 2,029 1,794 1,760 Denied/delayed 46% 39% 36% 2019 148MG/LITRE 30% 31% 1,279 Average 2018 232MG/LITRE 42% 61% 64% 70% Approved 54% 69% 2017 265MG/LITRE 58% 159 29% 160 34% 71% 66% 60 MG/LITRE International Standard 2017 2018 2019 Jan Feb Mar Apr May 2020 Monthly average * Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is an indicator of water pollution levels, which are linked to the effectiveness of wastewater treatment. Source: WASH Cluster/CMWU Source: WHO Feedback: [email protected] www.ochaopt.org www.ochaopt.org/gaza-crossings/ facebook.com/ochaopt @ochaopt Information on the status of border crossings and numbers of truckloads is based on data provided by the Gaza Ministry of National Economy, UNRWA, UNSCO and Paltrade (Palestine Trade Center). .