GAZA SITUATION REPORT 46
23 August 2014 | Issue No. 46
UPDATE AT 16:00
- IDP numbers on the rise. Currently 292,959 IDPs in 85 UNRWA schools.
- Average IDP population per UNRWA school is 3,482.
- The total number of IDPs staying in shelters supported by UNRWA is 327,118 (including 34,159 IDPs in 7 government shelters).
HIGHLIGHTS
- Israeli news reports last night that a rocket was launched from an UNRWA school were false. Israeli officials retracted their earlier claim that the rocket which killed a four-year-old child in Southern Israel was launched from an UNRWA school in the Gaza Strip. UNRWA calls upon the media outlets that rushed to report the incident without seeking confirmation from UNRWA to also report the Israeli army retraction. The Agency also calls on the Israeli military spokespersons and other official sources to ensure the accuracy of their facts before going public. UNRWA deplores the killing of all children during this conflict, including the killing of the four-year-old Israeli child yesterday and the hundreds of Palestinian children killed since the start of the current escalation. UNRWA calls on all parties to ensure protection of civilians, including children, affected by armed conflict, in accordance with their obligations under international law. UNRWA personnel are continuously present at all UNRWA installations unless military activity has forced personnel to relocate for safety and security reasons. UNRWA is working under incredible pressure in Gaza, providing assistance to hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the fighting and effectively supporting the entire population of the Gaza Strip through various interventions. Strict procedures remain in place to ensure that UNRWA installations remain neutral and are only used for humanitarian purposes.
- According to preliminary information recorded by the Protection Cluster, the cumulative death toll among Palestinians stands at 2,048. 1,441 – 70 per cent – are believed to be civilians, including 479 children and 249 women. Over the course of the military escalation, 67 Israelis were killed, including 64 soldiers, three civilians, including the four year old child yesterday, plus one foreign national.
- UNRWA is expecting a further increase in IDP numbers, as aerial bombardmentscontinueday and night. IDF messages are delivered through leaflets, voice mail and texts to the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip. The messages, stating “the battle is open” and warning civilians to stay away from terrorists and terror infrastructure as the IDF will continue their attacks, cause major panic amongst the population.
- Over 460,000 Palestinians – a quarter of the total population – are internally displaced. The majority of the displaced are sheltered in 84 UNRWA schools. As of last night, 292,489 IDPs were registered in UNRWA schools and 147,411 IDPs were reportedly staying with host families. The total number of IDPs supported by UNRWA is 326,559, including 34,070 IDPs sheltered in government facilities.
- As of last night, 61,206 school-aged children between 6 and 14 were staying in UNRWA’s shelters. This represents a quarter of the school children UNRWA was expecting for the new 2014/15 school year which was due to start tomorrow 24 August. UNRWA will ring the bells in all UNRWA schools tomorrow morning, host a symbolic ceremony and organize in each school an assembly facilitated by school principals. In coordination with the Ministry of Education, UNRWA is also working on the emergency education plan.
- The Gaza Humanitarian Information Service (HIS) through Internews, an international non-profit organization whose mission is to empower local media worldwide to give people the news and information they need, the ability to connect and the means to make their voices heard, started broadcasting in Gaza this week. The hourly program broadcast over 8 radio stations includes information on UNRWA humanitarian aid, such as for example the Agency’s food distribution. The program is a two-way communication tool, with UNRWA staff interviewed in Arabic and beneficiaries calling in with questions. In addition to the UNRWA portal on the Internet, UNRWA TV and media channels, the HIS is an important tool to strengthen communication with people in Gaza during the present escalation.
GENERAL
Past 24 hours:
There are no indications this military escalation would come to an end anytime soon.
Subsequent to the killing yesterday of a four year old boy in southern Israel,Prime Minister Netanyahu said."Hamas will pay a heavy price for this terrible terrorist attack. The IDF and the Shin Bet will intensify their operations against Hamas and the terrorist organizations in Gaza until the goals of Operation Protective Edge will be reached." Foreign Minister Avigdor Liebermann was quoted saying the operation needed to end with Hamas waving a white flag and begging for an unconditional ceasefire.
In a statement, Hamas official Mahmoud Al-Zahar said disarming the movement is non-negotiable.
UNRWA RESPONSE
People with disabilities face additional difficulties coping with the violence of the conflict, fleeing their homes and being displaced in shelters. People who had existing disabilities before the start of this conflict were especially vulnerable when violence escalated, and people who have acquired disabilities during the conflict now face a long road to recovery. An estimated 1,000 of the 3,000 children who have been injured will suffer from a life-long disability.
UNRWA has recorded many stories of people with disabilities fleeing their homes to the UN schools. Ms. Fatma Audeh Abu-Sawaween, an UNRWA teacher who has five daughters, spoke about difficulties in reaching the UNRWA shelter with her disabled daughter when she fled her home. Maysson is a 15 year-old girl taking refuge in an UNRWA shelter in Rafah. When Maysson’s family fled shelling near their home, she was afraid as she could not move due to her disability and was dependent on other people assisting her. Mr. Monther Muneer Abu Shehada is a 30 year-old man staying in a shelter with his family in Maghazi. He had to flee his home with seven family members. Two of his sons are blind, and he held their hands as the family fled, while his wife carried their young baby and helped the disabled grandfather. The old man asked to be left behind as he did not want to be a burden to the family, but his son refused, saying he would carry his father to the shelter if he had to.
UNRWA has health teams in place in each shelter to ensure that people injured in the conflict and at risk of acquiring a disability are accessing health care and rehabilitation. UNRWA is now working to ensure that the needs of people with new and existing disabilities are met and that they have equal access to food and NFI assistance as well as psychosocial support and access to education for children.
For people who have acquired disabilities through the recent violence, they will face additional difficulties even after the conflict ends. Children will face barriers in accessing education and adults may have difficulty returning to the work they used to do. Further, there is now a much increased need for rehabilitation services in Gaza, to support people who were injured in the conflict to recover. UNRWA is working with partners to address these challenges and ensure that people with disabilities are not excluded in the massive task of rebuilding Gaza.
- UNRWA delivered 10 truckloads of non food items (including blankets, family hygiene kits, mats, diapers, cleaning supplies, and personal hygiene items) as well as 32 truckloads of food to shelters in cooperation with WFP.
- UNRWA, in cooperation with partners and donors, continued increasing daily water distributions to the shelters. 1,066 cubic metres of potable water were trucked to the shelters, excluding bottled water. 87,840 litres of bottled water were distributed in the North, as there are no sufficient suppliers to truck the water. Even with the increasing IDP numbers, UNRWA was able to reach on average 3.3 litres per person a day, but further displacement poses challenges in meeting minimum needs. In addition to drinking water, 977 cubic metres of non-potable water were trucked by UNRWA, municipalities and contractors to the shelters. All of UNRWA’s shelters are connected either to municipality network, to a water well, or both. However, these sources do not provide sufficient amounts of water for the population in the schools. To improve capacity of water storage in schools, UNRWA has installed 495 water tanks since the beginning of the conflict and continues to do so as more people arrive to shelters.
- Under its Community Mental Health Program (CMHP), 91 UNRWA counselors reported to the shelters on 23 August. So far the CMHP has provided 16,942 sessions encompassing mental health awareness, psychosocial support covering 141,754 parents and recreational and animation activities to 160,176 children. CMHP also coordinated and supervised the implementation of 4,140 sessions by other partners covering 21,920 adult IDPs and 112,706 children.
- Of UNRWA’s Infrastructure and Camp Improvement Department, 132 staff, representing 39 per cent of the permanent sanitation staff, reported to work. Together with 46 Palestinians employed under the Job Creation Programme (JCP), they removed a total of 273tonnes of waste from all Gaza camps. The 11 water wells in Jabalia Camp (6), Beach Camp (3), Khan Younis Camp (1) and Rafah (1) supplied a total of 12,353 cubic meters of water. UNRWA maintenance staff continue to undertake critical repair work in UNRWA installations.
- Regular health services, regular food distribution and the exceptional food distribution did not occur during this period due to it being a Friday. Throughout the war, UNRWA has distributed food to the current caseload of over 830,000 people. Distribution centers are open six days a week, with the exception of Friday when food commodities for the regular and the exceptional food distribution are moved to the food distribution centers for the following week.
SUMMARY OF MAJOR INCIDENTS
Reportedly, there were 114 rockets and 58 mortar shells fired towards Israel. There were also reports that 91 air-to-ground missiles were fired into Gaza in addition to 28 navy shells. 101 tank shells were fired from the fence into populated areas. Reportedly, 13 houses were bombarded.
UNRWA INSTALLATIONS
Data on damage to UNRWA installations is based on preliminary information and subject to change based on further verification. UNRWA estimates that 109 installations have been damaged since 8 July 2014.
FUNDING NEEDS
More information on the revised flash appeal can be found here.
CROSSINGS
- The Rafah crossing was open.
- The Erez crossing was open for internationals and humanitarian cases until 12:00hrs.
- The Kerem Shalom crossing was open.
Document Type: Situation Report, Update
Document Sources: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
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: 23/08/2014