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UNRWA Situation Report #52 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem (All information is valid as of 13 December 2023 at 22:30)

UNRWA

15 Dec 2023

Day 68 of Hostilities

Key Points

The Gaza Strip

• As of 13 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 13 December, nearly 1.4 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 1.2 million IDPs are sheltering in 98 UNRWA facilities in the Middle, Khan Younis and Rafah areas.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

• On 13 December Israeli Security Forces (ISF) continued search and arrest operations in Jenin city and Jenin refugee camp, northern West Bank. One Palestinian was shot dead and two Palestinians were injured due to an exchange of fire between ISF and Palestinians. ISF reportedly fired live ammunition in the vicinity of Ash Shefa hospital in Jenin and held several Palestinian journalists inside the hospital. Also, ISF bulldozers reportedly damaged Palestinian infrastructure and private property. UNRWA operations in the camp have been severely impacted and were suspended.
• ISF arrested 25 Palestinians and confiscated one vehicle during a search and arrest operation in Talfit, northern West Bank.
• ISF arrested sixteen Palestinians and confiscated one vehicle during a search and arrest operation in Hizma, central West Bank.
• ISF search and arrest operations were also reported in the morning in Nablus, Balata refugee camp and Qalqiliya.

Overall Situation

The Gaza Strip

• According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, between 7 October and the afternoon of 13 December, 18,608 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, of whom around 70 per cent are reported to be women and children, and over 50,594 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) has been 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, 12 and 13 December.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 12,387, more than four times their capacity.

Health

• Eight (out of 22) UNRWA health centres are still operational in the Middle and Southern areas, recording 8,265 patients visits on 13 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 124 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. Each team is composed of 1-2 doctors and a nurse. ** 591 health workers in health centres and shelters provided support to 12,305 patients.**
• On December 13, UNRWA medical teams responded to 1,013 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 89,936** 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 of water 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.

Quote from Reem, a nurse at UNRWA health centre in Deir al-Balah

"Even if we have to leave our children at home, we are here to serve. As front-row medical staff, we work with everyone. People in shelters, refugees and non-refugees."

#HearTheirVoices

**ENDs - **