UNRWA Situation Report #51 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem (all information is valid as of 12 December 2023 at 22:30)
UNRWA
13 Dec 2023
Day 67 of Hostilities
Key Points
The Gaza Strip
- As of 12 December, UNRWA confirms that an additional colleague was killed, bringing the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since the beginning of hostilities to 135.
- 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 forced to move repeatedly in search of safety.
- As of 11 December, nearly 1.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) were sheltering in 155 UNRWA facilities across all five governorates of the Gaza Strip, including in the North and in Gaza City. UNRWA shelter information is updated daily to the extent possible; the information for north Gaza and Gaza City was last updated 12 October due to access constraints and security situation.
- More than 1.1 million IDPs are sheltering in 98 UNRWA facilities in the Middle, Khan Younis and Rafah areas.
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem
- On 12 December, Israeli Security Forces (ISF) conducted search and arrest operations in Jenin city and Jenin refugee camp, in the northern West Bank. At the time of writing, seven Palestinians were killed, including one child, due to missiles fired by ISF drones and exchanges of fire between ISF and Palestinians. ISF also hit a house inside Jenin refugee camp, in the vicinity of the UNRWA Community and Camp Service Office. ISF reportedly fired a missile at a Palestinian house in the eastern part of Jenin city, and bulldozed infrastructure and private property belonging to Palestinians. Some 70 Palestinians from the camp, including one woman, were reportedly detained. The operation is ongoing. UNRWA operations in the camp have been severely impacted and are currently suspended.
- ISF search and arrest operations were also reported in the morning in Nablus, in Balata and Askar refugee camps.
Overall Situation
The Gaza Strip
- According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, between 7 October and the afternoon of 12 December, 18,205 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, about 70 per cent are reported to be women and children, and over 50,100 have reportedly been injured.
The West Bank
- According to OCHA, 271 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli Security Forces (ISF) in the West Bank, including 69 children. In addition, eight Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers and another two either by forces or settlers.
- This year (2023) is the deadliest year for Palestinians killed in the West Bank since the UN began recording casualties in 2005.
Humanitarian Access, Protection of Civilians
The Gaza Strip
- UNRWA is verifying reports of incidents affecting UNRWA facilities on 11 and 12 December.
- On 11 December, an incident was reported impacting UNRWA installations and the IDPs sheltering there. Verification of details and casualty figures are ongoing: one IDP was reportedly shot and killed at an UNRWA shelter in Khan Younis.
- On 12 December, so far the following incidents have been reported impacting UNRWA installations and the IDPs sheltering there. Verification ongoing: a video posted online that appeared to show a school bearing blue and white UN markings being blown up by the IDF in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza. 156 incidents impacting UNRWA premises and people inside them have been recorded since the beginning of hostilities (some with multiple incidents impacting the same location), including at least 12 incidents of military use and/or interference at UNRWA premises. 43 different UNRWA installations were directly hit and 60 installations sustained collateral damage.
- UNRWA estimates that in total at least 288 IDPs sheltering in UNRWA shelters have been killed and at least a further 998 injured since 7 October. 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 155 UNRWA installations.
- The average number of IDPs in UNRWA shelters located in middle and southern areas is 11,480, more than four times their capacity.
Health
- Eight (out of 22) UNRWA health centres are still operational in the Middle and Southern areas, recording 9,551 patients visits on 11 December, including Palestine Refugees and non-refugees.
- Midwives are providing care for post-natal and high-risk pregnant women at the eight operational health centres. There are an estimated 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza, with more than 180 giving birth every day. A total of 188 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. 530 health workers attended to a total of 17,803 patients. Each team is composed of 1-2 doctors and a nurse.
- On December 12, UNRWA medical teams responded to 837 mental health cases, including individual consultations, awareness sessions and support for gender-based violence cases.
Psychosocial support (PSS)
- UNRWA teams, including 284 social workers in the shelters, provided psychosocial first aid and other specialized protection services to IDPs. Psychosocial support (PSS) efforts continued to be delivered in UNRWA shelters by a team of 284 school counselors. Since 7 October, 101,211 IDPS have been reached.
Food Security
- UNRWA continued to distribute flour outside of shelters in southern governorates. A total of 88,934 families have been reached so far.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
- On 12 December, UNRWA continued to operate nine water wells pumping about 10,000 cubic metres 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 stress on IDP shelter sanitation services. Solid waste management services continue in Rafah, Khan Younis and Middle Area camps with approximately 65 loadings transferred to temporary dumping sites.
Quote from Dr. Hasan, an UNRWA Doctor in Jabaliya camp, northern Gaza:
"No electricity [...] I prescribed medication for patients living with non-communicable diseases by checking empty medication containers"
#HearTheirVoices
ENDS
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