UNRWA Situation Report #49 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem Information is valid as of 10 December 2023 at 22:30 (local time)
UNRWA
11 Dec 2023
All information is valid as of 10 December 2023 at 22:30
Days 65 of Hostilities
Key Points
The Gaza Strip
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As of 10 December, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since the beginning of hostilities is 134.
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Since 7 October, up to 1.9 million people (or over 85 per cent of the population) have been displaced across the Gaza Strip, some multiple times. Families are very vulnerable as they are forced to move repeatedly in search of safety.
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As of 9 December, nearly 1.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) were sheltering in 154 UNRWA installations across all five governorates of the Gaza Strip, including in the North and Gaza City.
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More than 1.1 million IDPs were sheltering in 97 UNRWA facilities in the Middle, Khan Younis and Rafah areas.
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, between 7 October and 10 December afternoon, about 18,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, about 70 per cent of whom are reported to be women and children, and over 49,229 have reportedly been injured. Overall Situation
The Gaza Strip
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, between 7 October and 10 December afternoon, about 18,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, about 70 per cent of whom are reported to be women and children, and over 49,229 have reportedly been injured.
The West Bank
According to OCHA, 265 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli Security Forces (ISF) in the West Bank, including 69 children. In addition, eight Palestinians, including one child, have been killed by Israeli settlers.
Humanitarian Access, Protection of Civilians
The Gaza Strip
UNRWA is verifying reports of incidents that affected at least two UNRWA shelters on 10 December: one at a health centre in Jabalia, where there were allegations of forced evacuation, shooting at displaced people as they fled, and firing of munitions at the health centre, resulting in IDP casualties; and a second in Gaza City, where there were reports of forced evacuation, arrest and firing of weapons at the school resulting in casualties. 146 incidents impacting UNRWA premises have been reported since the beginning of the hostilities, including some premises hit multiple times. 41 UNRWA installations have been directly hit and 60 installations sustained collateral damage. UNRWA has also received reports of the military use of its facilities on at least five occasions.
UNRWA estimates that in total at least 284 internally displaced people (IDPs) sheltering in UNRWA shelters have been killed, and at least a further 976 injured since the start of the hostilities. UNRWA is verifying the number of casualties caused by incidents that impacted its installations, and notes that these figures do not include some reported casualties where the number of injuries could not be determined.
UNRWA Response
The Gaza Strip
UNRWA Shelters
In total, nearly 1.3 million displaced people are now sheltering in 154 UNRWA installations. The average number of IDPs in UNRWA shelters located in middle and southern areas is 11,647, more than four times their capacity.
Health
Eight (out of 22) UNRWA health centers are still operational in the Middle and Southern areas, recording 9,487 patients visits on 10 December, including Palestine Refugees and non-refugees.
Midwives are providing care for post-natal and high-risk pregnant women at the eight operational health centers. There are an estimated 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza, with more than 180 giving birth every day. A total of 203 post-natal and high-risk pregnancy cases were attended to at health centres.
UNRWA continued to provide health care to IDPs at shelters through 97 medical teams. 323 health workers attended to a total of 12,515 patients. Each team is composed of 1-2 doctors and a nurse.
On 10 December, the medical teams responded to 1,085 mental health cases, including individual consultations, awareness sessions and support for gender-based violence cases.
Psychosocial support (PSS)
UNRWA teams provided psychosocial first aid and other specialized protection services to IDPs. Since 7 October, 99,223 IDPs people have been reached.
On 9 December, psychosocial support (PSS) efforts continued to be delivered in UNRWA shelters by a team of 284 school counselors. In the reporting period, a total of 39,275 PSS sessions were provided, benefiting approximately 365,576 IDPs. Additionally, support was extended to 2,878 UNRWA staff members through a combination of in-person session and remote communication.
Food Security
UNRWA continued to distribute flour outside of shelters in Southern governorates. A total of 74,922 families have been reached so far.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
On 10 December, UNRWA continued to operate nine water wells pumping about 10,000 cubic meters to provide potable and domestic water. Potable water trucking operations to the shelters in Rafah and Khan Younis areas continue.
Shelters in Rafah and the Middle areas continued to receive potable water through tankers from the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility.
Overcrowding continues to put a stress on IDP shelter sanitation services. There remains a clear shortage of compactors and vehicles. Solid waste management services continue in Rafah, Khan Younis and Middle Area camps with approximately 60 loadings transferred to temporary dumping sites.
Quote from Samah Shallah, a mother of six from Gaza
"We left our home in a hurry; there was shelling everywhere. We could not carry anything with us. We left home under fire. [...] We reached UNRWA school in Deir El-Balah, which became a shelter. A few days after, I was in labor and an ambulance took me to the hospital, where I delivered my baby, Sama. [...] Instead of celebrating my newborn, I search for a place to wash it privately. When food is available, I feed it to my children. They still wear the summer clothes we left with. I see them shivering from the cold at night, and I can't do anything for them except hold them as tightly as I can to give them a little warmth."
#HearTheirVoices
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