This report is produced by OCHA oPt in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 15 July (1500 hrs) to 16 July (1500 hrs). The next report will be issued on 17 July.
Highlights
- According to preliminary information, 77 per cent of Palestinian fatalities so far have been civilians, raising concerns about respect for international humanitarian law.
- Indiscriminate rocket firing at Israeli population centres continues. Yesterday witnessed the first Israeli fatality since the start of the escalation in hostilities.
- UNRWA/WFP are providing shelter, food and WASH assistance to 22,600 displaced Palestinians from northern Gaza hosted in UNRWA schools.
- Up to half of Gaza's population is without water supply due to the inability of technicians to repair and operate critical infrastructure.
Latest development: the Israeli army has accepted a UN initiative calling for a "humanitarian pause" to be implemented tomorrow between 10:00 and 15:00.
Situation Overview
Yesterday afternoon, following a short unilateral lull in the context of a failed ceasefire attempt, the Israeli army resumed hostilities in Gaza. Alongside intense bombardments, the Israeli military delivered text messages to virtually all the residents of Ash Shuja'iyya and Az Zaitun neighborhoods in eastern Gaza city, approximately 100,000 people, warning them to leave their homes by 8 am today (16 July), ahead of attacks to be launched in the area. Subsequently, the Palestinian Ministry of Interior in Gaza reportedly instructed the residents to remain calm and not flee the area. Despite the generalized fear, as of today's afternoon, the vast majority decided to stay. Many of them reported that they feel there is no safe place to go to, or that they would be giving up their dignity by leaving their homes.
In contrast, in the past 24 hours, more residents of Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun towns in northern Gaza have left their homes. Approximately 22,600 are being hosted in 24 UNRWA schools in Gaza City and Jabalia, compared to 18,000 yesterday, where they are provided with mattresses, water, hygiene kits, and evening meals of bread and tuna. Many reached the shelters on foot, after hours of walking with their belongings, as they could not find transportation or afford its costs. The relocation experience has been particularly traumatic for young children, the elderly and the disabled. Women have reported stress due to their inability to maintain basic modesty norms, with generally overcrowded spaces and mixed latrines.
In the meantime, the renewed attacks throughout Gaza, from the air, land and sea, have killed another 15 Palestinians in the last 24 hours, including at least two children and a woman. Among the fatalities was Subhi Abed Al-Hameed Hussein Mousa, a 78-year old farmer, killed on 15 July at around 15:00, when a missile hit an agricultural shed on his land, northwest of Khan Younis. Another farmer, Ismail Fatouh, 24-year old, was injured a few hours later during an airstrike in the Az Zaitun area, southeast of Gaza City, while reportedly irrigating his land, and died shortly after of his wounds.
|
Latest developments: initial reports indicate that four Palestinian children, members of the same family, were killed today in the afternoon hours, while playing on the beach of Gaza city, as a result of a shelling by the Israeli navy. |
These incidents bring the Palestinian fatality toll since the start of the emergency to 214. According to preliminary information, at least 77 percent (164 people) were civilians, including 44 children and 29 women, 18 per cent (38 people) were members of armed groups, and the status of the remainder (12 people) could not be determined.2 The large proportion of civilians among the fatalities continues to raise concerns about the respect for the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution in attack under international humanitarian law.
Indiscriminate firing by Palestinian armed groups in Gaza at Israeli population centres also continued during the past 24 hours. Rockets, reportedly shot from Sinai, also targeted for the first time the southern city of Eilat. The period witnessed the first Israeli death since 7 July — a 37 year old man (Dror Hanin) hit by mortar shrapnel, while visiting soldiers next to the border with Gaza. The Magen David Adom (MDA) Israel, reported that since the start of the emergency, MDA treated six people who were seriously or moderately injured (excluding the fatality) from shrapnel and fires caused by direct rocket strikes.
|
"We must be careful about the endless enumeration of casualty numbers. The dead and injured in Gaza are not anonymous. Behind the figures lie multiple individual destinies now torn apart. Too often in their lives have Gazan civilians been denied their dignity. Anonymity in death or injury is the ultimate denial." Pierre Krahenbilhl, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, 15 July. |
|
Updates on Gaza Crossings Erez: open for internationals and exceptional cases. Beit Hanoun (Arba-Arba): the authorities in Gaza said that the checkpoint will open for the transit of internationals, only between 12:00-14:00. Additionally, 25 patients crossed today. Kerem Shalom: operating normally, 78 food trucks, in addition to nearly 600,000 litres of fuel entered. Rafah: open for medical evacuations, foreign and dual nationals. Food supplies and medical supplies from the Egyptian Red Crescent Society also crossed into Gaza via Rafah. |
Humanitarian needs and response
Protection
- At least 25,000 children whose families have experienced death, injury or loss of homes are still in need of specialised psychosocial (PSS) support.
- Unexploded ordnance and explosive remnants of war present a major hazard t population, and particularly to children.
Response
- Protection Cluster members continue monitoring and investigating incidents to identify possible violations of international law.
- The Protection Cluster continues to monitor and verify information on civilian fatalities.
- On 15 July, the Gaza emergency PSS teams conducted 45 visits to injured children in three hospitals and destroyed homes throughout the Gaza Strip. A total of 385 children have been reached since 7 July.
- Since 13 July, Sawa' Child Protection Help Line is receiving calls from children and caregivers 24/7.
- Spots continue airing by radio stations to reach children and alert children and their families on the dangers posed by Explosive Remnants of War and Unexploded Ordnances.
Gaps and Constraints
- Ongoing hostilities continue to impede movement of child protection staff and emergency psychosocial teams.
- Emergency psychosocial teams are working at half capacity due to funding constraints.
Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI)
Needs
- An estimated 1,660 displaced families (9,900 persons) whose homes were totally destroyed or sustained major structural damages, are in need of emergency NFI kits including mattresses, blankets, hygiene kit, and kitchen sets.
- Approximately 2,170 families (13,000 persons), whose homes sustained structural damage but are still habitable, and another 72,000 persons who are living in less affected houses, assistance need NFI emergency shelter repair items, such as nylon, tarpaulin and plastic sheets.
Response
- UNRWA is currently providing shelter to 22,600 displaced persons in 24 of its schools in Gaza city and the Northern Area.
- UNRWA provided NFIs, including family and baby hygiene kits, to displaced families hosted in their schools.
- Shelter Cluster members have provided shelter and NFIs assistance to some 600 families whose homes were totally destroyed, and over 300 families affected by damage to their homes.
Gaps and Constraints
- Emergency shelter kits and basic NFIs to many families whose homes were totally destroyed or sustained major structural damage could not be delivered due to the security situation and movement restrictions.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Needs
- Gaza water service providers have estimated that only half of Gaza's population is currently being supplied with water, due to unrepaired damage to infrastructure, inability to conduct routine field operations and electricity shortages.
- It is estimated that only half of the sewage pumping and waste water treatment systems are operating, with a large share of halted services in Northern Gaza, Gaza City and Rafah.
- The mixing of sewage and water, due to damaged pipelines crossing each other, raises the risk for water borne diseases.
- A humanitarian pause in order to allow essential operation and repairs of critical WASH facilities is urgently needed. Response
- Information of WASH infrastructure repairs and interventions during the reporting period will be provided in tomorrow's Situation Report.
Gaps and constraints
- Lack of adequate protection to water and sanitation technicians.
- Service providers are awaiting coordination with the Israeli authorities and escort by ICRC to start various major repairs.
Health and Nutrition
Needs
- Urgent need of 50 essential drug items and 20 disposables at Gaza hospitals.
- Half of psycho-tropic drugs, used for patients with mental illness, trauma and anxiety, at zero stock.
- Eight anesthesia machines, 10 ventilators, 5 electrosurgical units, 20 vital sign monitors, ECG machines, 5 defibrillator machines urgently needed.
- Specialists in neurosurgery, anesthesiology, plastic surgery, general trauma surgery, advanced orthopedics and burn management needed at Gaza hospitals.
Response
- The World Health Organization (WHO) in Gaza has been monitoring health facilities on site and meeting with health administrators to assess urgent needs.
- UNRWA distributed, on behalf of WHO, emergency fuel (69,000 litres of diesel) to critical health facilities.
- Al Awda Hospital treated 700 patients and 30 injured and performed 85 surgical operations, 58 deliveries and 13 CS since 13 July to date.
- Six patients were referred to Jordan on 16 July.
- Donations totaling US$ 1 3 million from UNICEF, Welfare Association, MAP-UK, Italian Cooperation, and ICRC were delivered to the MoH in response to WHO's appeal.
- The Italian Cooperation and the Welfare Association donated medical supplies to the MoH worth approximately US$ 114,000, along with 14,000 liter of fuel to Al Awda Hospital.
- Birzeit Pharmaceutical Company delivered drugs worth US$ 440,000 to MoH on 16 July.
- MoH in the West Bank delivered 5000 blood bags and two palettes of medications to Gaza.
- Islamic Development Bank donated 135,000 liters of fuel, to be given on a monthly basis for six months to MoH and some NGO hospitals.
Gaps and constraints
- Lack of adequate protection of health facilities and personnel.
- Restricted access to the injured due to ongoing military operations.
- Reduced access for referral cases out of Gaza, due to the difficulty in travel within Gaza, as well as the delay in processing referrals.
Food Assistance
Needs
- 22,600 persons hosted at UNRWA shelters and another 685 displaced families hosted by relatives, are in need of emergency food assistance.
- 3,600 fishermen are still in need of re-establishing their livelihoods and require assistance in the interim.
- At least 2,000 farmers unable to access their lands or livestock are in need of urgent food assistance, as well as other interventions to re-establish their livelihoods.
- A humanitarian pause for some hours per day is required to deliver food to affected families, as well as to allow livestock farmers and irrigated vegetable farmers to access their lands/farms.
Response
- WFP delivered four trucks with about 6,000 bread packets and 18,000 tins of tuna to UNRWA shelters.
- Several local charities donated hot meals to IDPs at some of the UNRWA shelters on 15 July.
- UNRWA's regular food distribution on 15 July saw 8,207 beneficiaries receiving food rations through seven distribution centres.
- WFP, in partnership with Oxfam GB, is providing food vouchers to 685 families hosted at relatives.
- WFP provided food assistance to about 2,040 persons, both patients and staff; in hospitals.
- 600 families (4,200 persons) are receiving food parcels through the Welfare Association.
Gaps and Constraints
- Food Security Sector members continue to face problems in accessing affected areas to assess damage.
- Information about displaced families at relative houses is needed in order to provide emergency food assistance.
Education
Needs
- In the last 24 hours, four schools, including two government and two UNRWA schools have sustained damage. Since the start of the emergency, 81 schools have been damaged due to their proximity to targeted sites and need repairs.
Response
- So far, cluster members have not been able to mount any response due to the ongoing military hostilities.
Gaps & Constraints
- Lack of movement to assess impact of hostilities on school infrastructure.
- Still no information available about the condition of the 12 schools located in Access Restricted Area (ARA).
- Insufficient pre-positioned supplies, such as school tents and teaching/learning materials, to respond to likely scale of need.
General Coordination
The Inter Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG) held an extraordinary meeting on 15 July in Jerusalem to discuss upcoming steps for the mobilization of additional resources, required to address the humanitarian needs emerging from the Gaza emergency. OCHA will consolidate a joint proposal, reflecting the priorities identified by the various clusters and sectors based on preliminary information, in advance of full assessments. The proposal will be presented at a Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) meeting scheduled for 17 July, with the participation of donors.
On 15 July, the Palestinian Cabinet decided to establish a unified emergency center to respond to the crisis and coordinate the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The Minister of Social Affairs (MoSA) has been tasked by the Prime Minister to lead this effort. Today the MoSA met the HC and OCHA to begin coordination of response and recovery efforts with the HCT team and its humanitarian response partners, both in Ramallah and in Gaza
Funding
A number of bilateral contributions have already been received from donors who have provided funding for urgent needs in the most critical sectors.
The 2014 Strategic Response Plan (SRP) for the oPt has received US$ 168 million (43 per cent) out of a total request of US$390 million Nearly 90 per cent of 1.9 million vulnerable people targeted in the SRP are in Gaza. Gaza-specific projects have received just over 30% of their requested funding. The HCT is currently embarking on an exercise to identify the most urgent SRP projects that if funded would help support the response in Gaza, as well as any new needs to develop an initial cost estimate for the response.
The Emergency Response Fund (ERF), an additional mechanism available to fund interventions in Gaza, is in urgent need of replenishment to ensure the fund's ability to provide rapid and flexible support to affected civilian populations. The mobilization of resources through the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is another channel that may be used to meet needs.
|
Background to the crisis On 7 July 2014, the Israeli army launched a large military operation in the Gaza Strip, codenamed "Protective Edge", with the stated objective of stopping Palestinian rocket firing at southern Israel and destroying the military infrastructure of Hamas and other armed groups. This development marked the collapse of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire understanding reached between Israel and Hamas in November 2012, which has been gradually undermined since December 2013. The latest escalation round started in early June, characterized by an intensification of Israeli airstrikes and rockets launched from Gaza at southern Israel. Tensions further increased following the abduction and killing of three Israeli youths in the southern West Bank, on 12 June, which the Israeli government attributed to Hamas. Overall, in the period leading up to the start of the current operation a total of 15 Palestinians, including one civilian, were killed, and another 58 others, mostly civilians, injured, as a result of Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip; seven Israelis, five of whom were civilians, were injured due to rocket fire. The current crisis comes against a backdrop of heightened vulnerability and instability. Unemployment increased dramatically since mid-2013, following a halt of the illegal tunnel trade, exacerbating the impact of the Israeli blockade in place since June 2007. Additionally, former de facto government employees, including the security forces, have not been paid salaries regularly since August 2013 and no salaries at all since April 2014. Delivery of basic services has been also undermined due to an ongoing energy crisis, involving power outages of 12 hours per day. |
For further information, please contact:
Katleen Maes, Head of the humanitarian Emergency Operations Center in Gaza, nnaes@un.org, +972 59 291 1047
Yehezkel Lein, Head of Analysis, Communications and Protection Unit, OCHA oPt, lein@un.org, +972 54 331 1809
For media enquiries, please contact:
Hayat Abu-Saleh, Communications and Information Analyst, OCHA oPt, abusaleh@un.org, +972 (0) 54 3311816
For more information, please visit www.ochaopt.org
Endnotes
'Data on injuries is provided by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
2 Data on fatalities and destruction of property is consolidated by the Protection and Shelter clusters based on preliminary information, and is subject to change based on further verifications.
Document Type: Situation Report, Update
Document Sources: Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Subject: Access and movement, Armed conflict, Casualties, Children, Closures/Curfews/Blockades, Extrajudicial killings, Food, Gaza Strip, Health, Human rights and international humanitarian law, Humanitarian relief, Internally displaced persons, Living conditions, Poverty, Protection, Refugees and displaced persons, Security issues, Shelter, Water, Women
Publication Date: 17/07/2014