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UNRWA

UNRWA Situation Report #142 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. All information from 4-10 October 2024, is valid as of 10 October 2024 at 22:30

UNRWA

11 Oct 2024

Key Points

The Gaza Strip

  • Strikes by Israeli Security Forces (ISF) continue, with aerial, land and maritime bombardments across the Gaza Strip, resulting in civilian casualties and the destruction of residential structures and public infrastructure. The issuance of new ISF evacuations orders have resulted in new waves of displacements across the Gaza Strip.
  • ISF issued evacuation orders on 5 and 6 October affecting five neighbourhoods in the Middle Area, and a mass evacuation order covering the entirety of northern Gaza. It is estimated that these recent evacuation orders are affecting an estimated 400,000 people, some 20 percent of the entire population in Gaza. Concurrently, the ISF announced the expansion of the so-called "humanitarian zone" in Al Mawasi and west Khan Younis. According to OCHA, the so called "humanitarian zone" continues to lack critical infrastructure and services, remains overcrowded and has been targeted multiples times by ISF. In response to the new wave of displacement from the evacuation orders, UNRWA has opened four emergency shelters in Gaza City and Beach camp and is coordinating with other humanitarian actors for the provision of assistance, including food and tarpaulins. Existing emergency shelters also receiving some internally displaced persons (IDPs), with UNRWA estimating an increase of 20 per cent of people displaced arriving in its shelters.
  • UNRWA's Commissioner General posted on his official X account: "One year on the horrendous massacre carried out by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on southern Israel, killing more than 1,250 people and taking 250 hostages. Since that day, the Middle East is sinking deeper into conflict, killing and sheer horrors. Twelve months of unspeakable suffering for the hostages in Gaza, their families left in limbo and a society deeply traumatized. Twelve months of brutal war have transformed the Gaza Strip into an unrecognizable sea of rubble, and a graveyard for tens of thousands of people, among them far too many children. One year has passed and not a day goes by without families in Gaza being subjected to unspeakable suffering, as forced displacement, disease, hunger, and death have become the daily norm for 2 million people trapped in a bombed-out and besieged enclave. A year of profound loss, grief and suffering. A year of dehumanization and disregard of international law; a free fall descent into barbarism. In Gaza, civilians continue to bear the brunt of the war. More than 220 UNRWA team members have been killed: the highest death toll in the history of the United Nations. Children have been the first and most to suffer. Beyond the killing and injury, every child in Gaza is traumatized many with life-long invisible scars. More than 650,000 children are losing another year of learning. Instead of being in classrooms, they are sifting through the rubble in despair and fear. The destruction of essential infrastructure has reached catastrophic levels. More than two thirds of UNRWA buildings have been hit and deemed unusable, the vast majority while sheltering displaced people under the UN flag. In the West Bank, civilians continued to endure destruction, fear and anxiety amid an escalation and increase in operations by the Israeli military and clashes with Palestinian armed groups. Poverty is deepening as people lose income and as movement restrictions are reinforced. The expansion of the war into Lebanon is wreaking havoc on civilians, many forced to relive traumas of the past. It is time for courage: a deal that would finally bring a ceasefire and respite to people in Gaza, Lebanon, Israel and the wider region. It is time to put the guns down after decades of killing and immense pain. It is time to release all hostages safely to their families, who are living through unbearable uncertainty. It is time to bring a standard flow of basic humanitarian supplies including to the hungry and sick in Gaza. There are no winners in wars. The only way out is through a diplomatic and peaceful solution. It's time to heal the wounds. It's time to choose peace!"
  • According to Christian Aid analysis, the price of vegetables in northern Gaza has reached exorbitant levels, for example onions are on sale for up to 400 times their pre-war price at US$ 107 per kilogram, equivalent to eight times the average daily wage in Gaza before the conflict, while a kilogram of tomatoes is now almost US$ 65.
  • The latest satellite-based agricultural damage assessment conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UNOSAT shows that 67.6 per cent of Gaza's cropland had been damaged, as of 1 September. Additionally, over 71 per cent of orchards and other trees, 67 per cent of field crops, and 58.5 per cent of vegetables have been damaged. Furthermore, most of the Gaza city port infrastructure and vessels were destroyed in October 2023 and remain non-functional, with severe repercussions on trade and livelihoods.
  • According to the UN, at least 1.9 million people - or about 90 percent of the population - across the Gaza Strip are internally displaced. Many have been displaced repeatedly, some, 10 times or more.
  • As of 10 October, the total number of UNRWA team members killed since 7 October 2023 is 226.
  • Several challenges continue to stand in the way of collecting much needed humanitarian supplies from the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing point in southern Gaza. These include deteriorating law and order, war and insecurity, damaged infrastructure, fuel shortages and access restrictions. According to OCHA, in September 2024, an average of only 52 humanitarian trucks entered the Gaza Strip per day. According to a group of NGOs thousands of food and hygiene kits have been delayed at various procurement points across Egypt and Jordan due to prioritization requirements, security concerns, and logistical constraints. This is well below the pre-crisis average of 500 trucks per working day.
  • The latest information on supplies entering Gaza can be accessed through the below link:

Gaza Supplies and Dispatch Tracking | UNRWA

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem update is now once a week.

  • According to OCHA, between 7 October 2023 and 30 September 2024, 695 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, this includes 160 children according to UNICEF.
  • Between 30 September and 6 October, 24 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Late on 3 October, a massive ISF airstrike in Tulkarm camp in northern West Bank hit a multi-story building including a coffee shop, killing 18 Palestinians, among them three children. The airstrike purportedly targeted Palestinian armed actors. The airstrike was the deadliest airstrike recorded in the West Bank since 7 October.
  • In the week preceding 6 October, there were at least 148 recorded ISF search and arrest operations across the West Bank. Movement restrictions were tightened at checkpoints and roads within the West Bank, both linked to the Iranian airstrikes on 1 October as well the lead-up to the anniversary of the onset of the Gaza conflict on 7 October 2023.
  • Harassment of Palestinian farmers participating in the olive harvest was reported in numerous locations across the West Bank, perpetrated both by Israeli settlers and by the ISF. At least 15 Palestinian farmers picking olives were reportedly injured between 30 September and 6 October: two in Huwarra and two in Haris, in northern West Bank, and 11 in Al Lubban al Gharbi in central West Bank.

Displaced child amid tents in Deir al-Balah (Middle Areas), Gaza Strip, October 2024. © 2024 UNRWA Photo by Ashraf Amra

Overall Situation

The Gaza Strip

The Gaza Strip

  • UNRWA is working to verify the details of incidents that reportedly impact UNRWA premises. Further information will be provided once it becomes available.
  • During the reporting period, five new incidents impacting UNRWA installations and internally displaced people (IDPs) sheltering there were reported. The verification of details and any casualty figures are ongoing.
    • On 3 October, the ISF reportedly dropped a bomb in the proximity of the western side of the main gate of an UNRWA school in Gaza City. Two IDPs were injured outside the school. No damage to the school was reported.
    • On 5 October, the ISF reportedly conducted a strike at a location in close proximity to the western gate of UNRWA's Gaza Field Office (GFO). As a result, an UNRWA contractor was reportedly injured while he was working on maintenance of a wall.
    • On 6 October, an ISF airstrike reportedly hit an UNRWA school in Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza. It was reported that one missile hit the ground floor of the school's southwestern side. Three IDPs were reportedly injured.
    • On 8 October 2024, ISF reportedly requested to evacuate an UNRWA school in Jabalia in preparation for bombing. Reports from UNRWA teams on the ground indicate that IDPs sheltering inside the school have been forced to evacuate, further UNRWA designated emergency shelters in Jabalia were reportedly forced to evacuate. Some IDPs returned to the school due to there being no other shelter options available to them.
    • On 9 October, ISF strike reportedly hit a location approximately 10 meters away from an UNRWA water well in Jabalia, resulting in multiple fatalities and casualties among the IDPs living in tents.
  • 464* incidents impacting UNRWA premises and the people inside them have been reported since the beginning of the war (some with multiple incidents impacting the same location), including at least 74* incidents of military use and/or interference at UNRWA premises. 190* Agency installations have been impacted by munitions or subjected to armed actor interference through these incidents. UNRWA estimates that, in total, at least 563* IDPs sheltering in UNRWA installations have been killed and at least 1,790* injured since the start of the war. UNRWA is verifying the number of casualties caused by these incidents.

*Since the start of the war, latest figures are continuously under review as UNRWA gains access to locations that were previously inaccessible and as further verification occur. Total summary figures will be published once further verification has been conducted, noting that these numbers are subject to change once verifications have been conducted.

UNRWA Response

The Gaza Strip

Health

  • As of 6 October, 79 medical points and six (out of 27[2]) UNRWA health centres were operational. The health facilities provide primary health care, including outpatient services, non-communicable disease care, medications, vaccinations, antenatal and postnatal health care and dressings for the injured. The number of operational health facilities changes constantly based on demand, access and security.
  • While health services continued, medical points in Gaza and northern Gaza were closed due to insecurity and evacuation orders and two health centres in Gaza City and northern Gaza were also closed due to heavy and continuous airstrikes in or near Jabalia camp.
  • As of 6 October, 1,123 UNRWA health staff continued to work in health centres and medical points across the Gaza Strip, providing 16,242 medical consultations on that day.
  • On 6 October, UNRWA provided mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services in the Middle and Khan Younis areas, with teams of psychiatrists and supervisors to assist special cases referred from UNRWA health centres and shelters. UNRWA teams responded to 401 cases in health centres and at medical points through individual consultations, awareness sessions and to address cases of gender-based violence (GBV).
  • On 6 October, medical teams provided care for 348 post-natal and pregnant women at high risk.
  • According to the Health Cluster, UNRWA remains one of the largest health actors operating in the Gaza Strip, contributing to over half of the people reached with health services since 7 October 2023. Between 7 October 2023 and 29 September 2024, UNRWA provided over 5.87 million medical consultations across the Gaza Strip. In addition to medical consultations, UNRWA (in partnership with and support from other UN agencies, including UNICEF and WHO) continues to provide vaccines, with over 193,000 children vaccinated between the start of 2024 until 22 September 2024.

Psychosocial support and Learning

  • UNRWA remains the largest provider of emergency learning and psychosocial support (PSS) across the Gaza Strip. More than 659,000 children continue to be out of school since the beginning of the war. On 1 August 2024, UNRWA began to roll out its first phase response of "Back to Learning" with a focus on mental health activities. This is taking place in up to 45 UNRWA schools-turned-shelters[3] by expanding ongoing psychosocial support activities, focusing on arts, music and sports and raising awareness on the risks of explosive ordnance, with the support of nearly 750[4] school counsellors and up to 500 teachers. UNRWA continues to provide lifesaving psychosocial support PSS services in Gaza, including psychosocial first aid, individual and group counselling, fatigue management sessions, recreational activities, Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) and protection cash assistance, reaching children, youth and adults.
  • Since the onset of the conflict and up to 3 October, around 700,000 IDPs, including over 500,000 children, have benefited from 262,385 PSS sessions/activities. Between 3 and 8 October, a total of 11,565 IDPs have accessed these services.
  • Following the roll out of the UNRWA "Back to Learning" programme in UNRWA shelters, more than 11,000 children, 57 per cent of whom are girls, have benefited from this response. Between 3 and 8 October, 10,987 children (4,832 boys, 6,115 girls, including 327 children with disabilities) participated in a variety of "Back to Learning" activities, including basic literacy and numeracy sessions, PSS sessions, and recreational activities such as arts, music and sports.
  • Since the war began, UNRWA's social work team has provided services to 182,692[5] IDPs, including psychological first aid, PSS, family and individual activities, as well as case management. These efforts aim to address family issues and strengthen relationships.
  • Protection services were provided to 1,480 GBV survivors and 2,349 children, including 1,315 unaccompanied children, covering reunification, safe sheltering, medication, dignity kits and non-food items through referrals. The team also supported 19,542 persons with disabilities with PSS; 7,752 of these individuals received assistive devices and rehabilitation services. Awareness sessions on GBV, child protection, disability and special needs, as well as managing social and psychological stressors were conducted for 115,452 IDPs.

Food Security

  • From 7 October 2023 to 3 October 2024, a total of 380,236 families (nearly 1.9 million people) have been reached with two rounds of flour; 366,944 of those families have received three rounds.
  • UNRWA continues to distribute food parcels in the southern governorates. These include[6] flour, rice, chickpeas, lentils, cheese, hummus and canned fish, and are designed to cover approximately 90 per cent of daily calorific needs per quarter. To date, nearly 1.15 million people have been reached, of whom, nearly 215,000 people have received two rounds of food parcels since the war started.
  • In addition to the distribution of UNRWA food parcels, the Agency distributes food parcels on behalf of other UN organizations, reaching around 1.4 million people.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

  • Since October 2023, UNRWA has carried out emergency WASH activities across the Gaza Strip. Main activities include the operation and continued maintenance of water wells, desalination systems and water through water trucking and bottled water. In addition, UNRWA continues to distribute hygiene kits and maintain hygiene in UNRWA shelters and sites through cleaning supplies, community based solid waste management, and pest control.
  • UNRWA continues to be one of the largest WASH actors in the Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of the war, the Agency has maintained and rehabilitated eight wells, reaching over 600,000 IDPs with access to water. In September, UNRWA was able to provide over 70,000 m3 of domestic water. In Jabalia, UNRWA rehabilitated a well which supports over 20,000 IDPs. With the available fleet for sanitation, UNRWA continues to provide a solid waste collection and transfer service in the areas of Khan Younis, Middle Area and Gaza. In September, more than 6,000 tons of waste were collected from camps and emergency shelters. In addition to waste management and collection, over 400 manholes have been cleaned in preparation for winter along with other winterization activities including the removal of debris in the streets and support flood-prone areas.

[1] Some of the information is reported during the reporting period but does not necessarily correspond to the reporting period.

[2]Pre-conflict, UNRWA had 22 health centres. Following the onset of the conflict, an additional five temporary health centres were established.

[3]Initially reaching 45 UNRWA schools/shelters, 'back to learning' will gradually expand to 94 schools in future phases.

[4] 176 school counsellors and 566 assistant counsellors.

[5] Results from 7 October 2023 to 8 October 2024.

[6] The composition of the food parcel may change based on food item availability.



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