UNICEF Humanitarian Situation Report #2 (State of Palestine) March 2016

Reporting Period: 1 February – 29 February 2016

Highlights

• During the month of February the situation in Palestine remained tense with 17 recorded incidents, resulting in 15 Palestinians and two Israelis killed. In February more than 400 Palestinians and 16 Israelis have been injured in clashes in West Bank and Gaza.

•  In February, seven Palestinian children aged between 13 and 17 years were reported killed, and more than 300 injured in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. There were two Israelis killed in the same period, including a woman, and two others injured.

• During the reporting period, 82 children were arrested in East Jerusalem by Israeli Security Forces (ISF). Since the beginning of the clashes and escalation of violence in September, a total of 546 children have been arrested or detained.

• In February, UNICEF, through its NGO partners, provided legal assistance and counselling to 62 arrested children including 7 girls, and 12 children under the age of criminal responsibility (12 years).

• UNICEF continued to support NGO partners in ensuring protective presence on the way to, from, and around schools, especially in Hebron and East Jerusalem. More than 4,350 children and 350 teachers who cross checkpoints daily are benefiting from the programme.

• In February, UNICEF continued water distribution to the most vulnerable communities in water-scarce areas in the West Bank. Since the beginning of the year more than 3,000 people (50% children) have benefitted from improved access to drinking water.

• In February, UNICEF distributed micronutrient supplements to 20,000 children and women in Gaza and West Bank as part of the Primary Health Care (PHC) package.

Situation Overview

During February 2016, the situation in the State of Palestine has remained tense, with violent incidents and clashes across the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. There have been multiple attacks and incidents resulting in deaths and injuries of Palestinians and Israelis, including children and women.

During the past month, a total of 15 Palestinians have been killed, including seven children aged between 13-17 years, and more than 940 were injured, including 316 children, the vast majority in protests and confrontations with Israeli forces. During the same period there were two Israelis killed, and two others injured.

Between 9 and 11 February the Israeli authorities destroyed at least 80 homes and livelihood-related structures in seven Palestinian communities in Area C, all but one in the Jordan Valley, displacing approximately 60 people, including 30 children.

On 17 February, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the State of Palestine, Robert Piper, called on Israel to immediately halt demolitions in the occupied West Bank and to respect international law. In the press release, Mr. Piper stated that between 1 January and 15 February 2016, Israeli forces have destroyed, dismantled or confiscated 283 homes and other structures, displacing 404 Palestinians, including 219 children, and affecting another 1,150 Palestinians, who lost structures related to their source of income.

On 21 February, Israeli forces dismantled and confiscated a new school section in the Palestinian Bedouin community of Abu Nuwar, to the east of Jerusalem, for lack of building permits. The new school comprised seven caravans and three latrines, which were donor-funded and built to serve 62 children in first and second graders in the community's school.

During the reporting period, the Egyptian-controlled Rafah Crossing was exceptionally open in both directions, for three days, allowing 1,122 Palestinians into Gaza, and 2,439 Palestinians, mainly patients and students, to exit Gaza. Authorities in Gaza indicated that over 25,000 people with urgent needs, including around 3,500 medical cases, are registered and waiting to cross.

Humanitarian Leadership and Coordination

UNICEF, as part of the UN Country Team, coordinates with the Palestinian Government to support its role in humanitarian response, early recovery and reconstruction. UNICEF leads the WASH cluster in close collaboration with the Palestinian Water Authority and co-leads the Education Cluster with Save the Children, both in Gaza and at the national level. UNICEF also leads the Child Protection Working Group and affiliated groups on Mental Health and Psychosocial Services (MHPSS), and on monitoring and reporting of grave violations against children (Children and Armed Conflict reporting mechanism). UNICEF co-leads the Nutrition Working Group under the Health Cluster, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health and WFP, in Gaza and at the national level.

UNICEF is leading the cluster transitioning in WASH and Education sectors, in the West Bank through capacity building, towards increased Government ownership and more effective coordination.

The 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) which is part of the Global Humanitarian Overview was launched in the West Bank on 10 February 2016. The launch of the HRP in Gaza is scheduled for 9 March 2016. The HRP requests US$ 571 million, of which 32 million for UNICEF interventions, including child protection, legal assistance and protective presence for students and teachers, provision of health care, and water and sanitation services.

Summary Analysis of Programme Response per Sector

Education and Adolescents

In February, throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem, access to schools and education continued to be impeded, particularly in schools and communities near the barrier, settlements, military areas, and isolated communities. Palestinian school-aged children experienced harassment on their way to and from school, as well as in school yards and classrooms. On 10 February, public school teachers went on strike with immediate suspension of classes. The Ministry of Education has announced that school exams will not be postponed as a result of the strike.

The protective presence and accompaniment of children and teachers continued throughout the West Bank, in partnership with the INGOs Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine (EAPPI) and Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT).

During the month of February, UNICEF continued to provide protective presence for over 4,350 children and 350 teachers. During the reporting period, UNICEF in cooperation with WFP completed distribution of school uniforms and winter clothes to 8,093 children in Gaza through the e-voucher programme.

In February, the Adolescent Development and Participation programme (ADAP), through its partners Al Nayzak, INJAZ, Pa IVision, Tamer, Save Youth Future Society and Ma'an Development Center supported 839 adolescents with skills development and training in implementing and leading initiatives addressing issues of conflict, violence, and social cohesion. Since the beginning of 2016 a total of 2,141 adolescents (43% female) have benefited from the programme.

Child Protection

In February, the situation remained unstable with high levels of violence against children in the West Bank, particularly in East Jerusalem and Gaza. During the reporting period, seven children aged 13-17 years were killed, and more than 300 were injured.

In addition 82 children were arrested during the same period by Israeli Security Forces (ISF), including seven girls, and 12 children under the age of criminal responsibility (12 years), bringing the total to 546 children arrested since the start of the beginning of the escalation of violence.

In February, UNICEF provided legal assistance to 62 arrested and detained children through its partners War Child and the Wadi Hilweh Information Centre. During the reporting period 25,036 children (49% females) received psychosocial support including both group and individual counseling across the Gaza Strip. Additionally, 3,490 children (52% boys) received child protection services in the form of life skills through 28 family centers.

In February, the Juvenile Protection Law was passed by presidential decree after extensive lobbying and advocacy efforts by UNICEF and the CPWG. The law updates the Palestinian juvenile justice system and recognizes minors under the age of 18 as victims in need of protection, rehabilitation, and reintegration into society.

With regard to education related violations, 286 incidents were reported last year, including raids, closure of schools as a result of direct attacks, delays at check points on the way to and from schools, interruption of classes and, in some instances, injury of children. The new figures are being updated and verified and and will be included in the next report

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

In February, in Gaza, UNICEF in partnership with the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) has continued the rehabilitation and upgrading of the wastewater networks in Khan Younis and Rafah. During the reporting period, more than 2,800 meters of UPVC pipes were installed resulting in 138 households being connected to the wastewater networks.

In Rafah, the rehabilitation of Jumaizat AlSabeel sewage pumping station is ongoing with 1,100m of HDPE pipes already installed for the pressure line.

During the reporting period, UNICEF in cooperation with WFP, has completed the distribution of 8,856 e-vouchers of hygiene items to marginalized households accross Gaza. The distribution is carried out through the e-voucher system.

In the West Bank, UNICEF in cooperation with the NGO Gruppo di Volontariato Civile (GVC) continued water distribution in the most vulnerable communities in Area C. In February, more that 2,000 m3 of water were distributed benefiting 1,500 people. Since the beginning of the project more than 30,000 people (50% children) have benefitted from access to drinking water through repairs, upgrades of water networks and water distribution in the water scarce areas. UNICEF in coordination with OCHA and UNRWA provided assistance through the WASH Cluster in coordinating the distribution of fuel to critical WASH facilities, particularly in Rafah and Eastern villages of the Gaza Strip.

Child Health & Nutrition

In Gaza, during the reporting period, UNICEF delivered 186 pallets of essential drugs to the Ministry of Health for distribution benefiting more than 95,000 people. The delivery included part of the supply items procured for the emergency department at Shiffa hospital.

In February, UNICEF provided 67,500 doses of DTP vaccines to the Ministry of Health that will benefit 60,000 children.

First Aid training is ongoing and will be completed in March for 300 Health Staff and School Officers in Gaza.

In February, in the West Bank, UNICEF distributed micronutrient supplements benefiting more than 20,000 people.

Also in the West Bank, UNICEF distributed 13,529 packs (0.8 ton) of iron & folic acid tablets to the Ministry of Health that benefited more than 10,000 people.

Summary of Programme Results

Funding

Meeting the humanitarian and development needs of affected children and families in the State of Palestine will contribute to saving lives, reducing the suffering of the affected population and increasing resilience. The 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), which is part of the Global Humanitarian Overview, was officially launched on 10 February 2016 in Ramallah. During the reporting period no funds were received against UNICEF's approved project sheets in the HRP.

The 2016 Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) document was finalized and includes four additional projects (WASH and Education), which were not included in the HRP. For this reason, UNICEF's total required funding in the HAC is higher than the total amount required through the HRP project sheets.

Next Sit Rep: 14 April 2016

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UNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children 2016: http://www.unicef.org/a ppea Is/state of pa lesti ne. htm I 

¹ The Cluster results will be updated quarterly as agreed with the respective Clusters/Sections

http://www.unicef.org/oPt/UNICEF_SoP_SitRep_18_March_2016_-_Copy_-_Copy.pdf