Highlights
- 26 September marks one month since the open-ended cease fire entered into force. Although it continues to hold, the situation remains tense.
- The new UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territories, Makarim Wibisono, travelled to Amman and Cairo and received briefings from key actors in Gaza, including UNICEF with members of the Child Protection Working Group and Education Cluster.
- The total number of Palestinian deaths caused by the recent conflict has reached 2,157, following recent deaths of four Palestinians, including two children, who succumbed to wounds sustained during the hostilities.
- An explosion of explosive remnants of war killed three people and injured two on 19 September.
- The number of IDPs in collective shelters continues to fluctuate with 63,075 sheltering in 19 UNRWA school buildings and 1 Governmental school.
- The Ad Hoc Liaison Committee met on Monday 22 September in New York.
- Reports from the IMF, the WB and the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process highlighted the heavy toll the hostilities have taken on the Palestinian Economy.
- The latest assessment data from MoEHE indicates that 187 schools registered damages of which 26 are severely damaged and 2 completely destroyed.
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After a month of ceasefire The ceasefire that entered into force on 26 August has held for a month. Nevertheless the situation remains a protracted emergency. The people of Gaza continue to feel uncertain about the future due to concerns over the unstable political and security situation as well as poor economic outlook. The blockade on Gaza remains in place curtailing reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. An estimated 20,000 homes are believed to be uninhabitable and 40,000 more require some repairs. 60,000 people are still sheltering in collective shelters and an estimated 50,000 more are staying with host families. The Gaza Power plant remains inoperable resulting in 18 hours of power outages a day and 20-30 per cent of water and sewage networks damaged during the crisis still affect approximately 450,000 people and one million people respectively. |
Situation Overview
- The ceasefire still holds one month after it came into effect. However, the situation is tense and the people of Gaza remain insecure. Israeli naval forces have fired warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats approaching or exceeding the Israeli imposed fishing limit. Israeli forces conducted land clearing operations 100-200 m within Gaza and on 23 September fired towards Gaza from the border east of Khan Younis. A test rocket was fired from East of Khan Younis on 21 September.
- Two children were among four additional Palestinians to die of wounds sustained during the Gaza conflict. In total, 2,157 persons were killed due to the hostilities in Gaza, of which 1,479 are believed to have been civilians, 295 militants and 383 unknown. Children make up 34 per cent of the civilian casualties. Between 8 July and 26 August, at least 506 Palestinian children were reported killed during the hostilities in Gaza.
- The child casualties include 316 boys and 190 girls, aged between 10 days and 17 years old.
- Of the 506 children, at least 346 child casualties, or 68%, are 12 years old or younger.
- Of the 190 girls, 145 casualties, or 76%, are 12 years old or younger.
- The number of child casualties exceeds the combined number of children killed in the two previous conflicts in Gaza, which was 350 in 2008-9 and 35 in 2012. The number of child casualties may continue to rise, as children with serious injuries are still being treated in hospitals, and as further verification of earlier incidents is ongoing. In addition, children continue to be at grave risk of unexploded ordnances as a direct result of the hostilities.
- An unexploded ordinance exploded in a house in Shejaiyeh on 19 September killing three people and injuring two.
- The total number of internally displaced persons continues to fluctuate, this week it has increased to 63,075. The IDPs are being sheltered in 20 Collective Centres, 19 UNRWA school buildings and 1 Governmental school building. The last government school still being used as a collection for IDPs is a severely damaged school in Beit Hanoun, North Gaza.
- The Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) met in New York on 22 September. The meeting was hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, chaired by Norway and co-sponsored by the EU and the U.S. The Chair highlighted how recent events had resulted in a marked deterioration in the economic outlook for Palestine. Unemployment is at an all-time high with almost every other person unemployed in Gaza and one in six people in the West Bank. Chair's summary: http://unispal.un.org/UNISPALNSF/O/FE9546C981315138685257D5C004736BE
- Reports submitted to the Committee from the IMF, WB and the UN identified three key steps that need to be taken immediately in order for the Palestinian economy to improve. The first identified step is the lifting of restrictions on movement and access. The second is for the governance framework for the West Bank and Gaza to be under a single legitimate authority. The third step is for the international community to provide essential additional funding to enable reconstruction and reforms in Gaza.
- MoEHE, in collaboration with UNICEF, is finalizing the list of damaged schools that it plans to repair in 2014. The latest assessment data from MoEHE indicates that 187 schools registered damages of which 26 are severely damaged and 2 completely destroyed. The repairs to 26 schools in West Gaza are due to start this week through a partnership agreement with ACF valued at just over US$64,000. All repairs should be completed by the end of October and will benefit over 20,780 children (approximately 12,760 boys and 8,020 girls). The distribution of textbooks to students marks the start of normal academic activities in MoEHE schools this week after the first week of psychosocial support and recreation.
Summary Analysis of Programme response
UNICEF's emergency scaled-up response in Gaza is targeting children who attend public schools, under five-year-old children and mothers, and vulnerable households in the most affected communities. UNICEF is currently focusing on supporting affected children and families in shelters, host families, and the communities that have been most severely hit. To respond to the urgent needs of the population, UNICEF has brought in significant additional international surge staff for programme response and cluster coordination.
Education
On 14 September, approximately 230,000 school children returned back to Government schools after 3 weeks of delay due to the 50 days of hostilities in the Gaza strip. During the crisis, and after a ceasefire was reached on 26 August, UNICEF worked closely with Education Cluster members, the MoEHE and partners in preparing for the re-opening of schools.
Since early September, UNICEF has supported:
– The cleaning and disinfection of 27 Government Schools that were used as collective shelters during the conflict. This was achieved through efforts of various organizations coordinated by MA'AN with UNICEF's support.
– Orientation of about 12,000 school principals, school counsellors, supervisors, and teachers on psychosocial support, the nonviolence in schools policy, detection of traumatized children and referrals. This was achieved through cascade training. 56 school principals and subject supervisors were trained as trainers on the nonviolence in schools policy and on classroom management. They in turn trained 400 school principals and 11,000 teachers. 400 school counselors had a refresher training on psychosocial support in schools and then oriented the teachers in their schools. In total, 186 subject supervisors, 400 school principals, 400 school counselors and 11,000 teachers received training before the start of the new school year, leading to 230,000 school children receiving psychosocial support and recreational activities last week.
– Recreational and stress relief activities for 36,734 children in 80 schools all over Gaza strip through MA'AN and TAMER in coordination with MoEHE. This was part of the extra support to children during the first week of school.
– Tankering of safe drinking water to schools (on a daily basis, to serve 76,050 students and 2430 teachers in 117 schools).
Distributed:
– 86,501 school bags to children in grades 1-6 in MoEHE schools;
– 120,320 stationary sets for school children in MoEHE schools;
– 395 teaching aids to 395 schools to enable teachers to work in a more conducive teaching and learning environment.
Each aid includes 35 items, including chalk, markers, rulers, scissors, notebooks and etc.
– 623 recreational kits to 395 schools to enable the schools to implement recreational activities with the school children in the first week of the new academic year and on an ongoing basis.
– 28 early childhood development (ECD) kits to schools that have preschool classes.
In addition, UNICEF is currently organizing:
– Distribution of the remaining 43,499 school bags that are being locally manufactured in Gaza by 3 suppliers at a rate of 24,000 bags per week, as well as the remaining 10,000 stationary sets.
– Repair of 26 schools that sustained minor damage during the conflict in West Gaza, to start this week through partner ACF. The schools will be rehabilitated by end October.
– Provision of school uniforms and shoes to the most vulnerable children through the joint WFP-UNICEF e-voucher programme. So far, funding has been secured for 15,000 sets of school uniforms and shoes.
Child Protection
- 19,189 adolescents and children (49% females) benefited from basic psychosocial support and recreational activities including stress relief and self-expression activities with the support of UNICEF partners MA'AN and Tamer in 19 government shelters, 15 community-based organizations and 7 Libraries reaching more children to help them better cope with their experiences of the conflict.
- Emergency support to children and caregivers was provided through Sawa Child Protection Helpline reaching 1,207 children (695 girls and 512 boys).
- Direct psychosocial interventions were provided through Palestinian Red Crescent Society to 23,134 children, (11,965 girls and 11,180 boys).
- A UNICEF-led Task Force on referral and case management continues to meet to identify potential focal points that should be trained to recognize child protection risks. This will contribute to the strengthening and rebuilding of child and family referral networks and case management systems in Gaza.
- UNICEF has reached an agreement with Internews to broadcast radio spots on Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) to raise awareness on the dangers for children and their families. During the conflict, 1 million people in Gaza were educated on ERW risk through local radio stations.
Water Sanitation and Hygiene
- Family hygiene kits were distributed to 1,000 families whose homes had been partially or fully damaged in East Khan Younis.
- CMWU is continuing urgent repairs of water and sewage pipe systems. UNICEF is finalizing the procurement of water pipes and fittings for CMWU worth US$325,000. Approximately 80% of the items required are available locally in Gaza which will enable rapid procurement and delivery.
- PHG and GVC, with UNICEF's support, continue to provide water tankering for drinking water. To date, 4,253 cubic meters of water have been provided to 50,000 individuals. PHG and GVC have also distributed 370 communal tanks in the Middle area of Gaza. In partnership with MA'AN, 14 water bladders have been installed: 6 in Gaza City, 5 in Khan Younis and 3 in Beit Hanoun. In total these water filling stations will provide water to 71,000 people.
- Water tankering for domestic use is ongoing. MA'AN delivered 4,504 cubic meters of water to 31,528 beneficiaries in Gaza City.
Child Health & Nutrition
- On 10 September, a UNICEF shipment of 90 tons of medical supplies, entered Gaza. This is part of UNICEF's commitment to ensure that hospitals and health facilities are frequently re-stocked with essential drugs, vaccines and supplies. Essential drugs supplied by UNICEF in two shipments since the onset of the hostilities are benefitting around 136,120 patients. Vaccinations are underway in Primary Health Centers run by the Ministry of Health and UNRWA. Vaccination coverage is sustained at 98%
- UNICEF is funding Ministry of Health (MoH) Community Health Workers to conduct outreach activities in collective centres. Some 9,732 IDPs (1,483 men, 5,112 women and 3,137 children) participated in awareness sessions on communicable diseases in collective shelters and with host families.
- Breastfeeding awareness-raising was conducted with 7,517 mothers in shelters and in host families, also by UNICEF-funded MoH Community Health Workers.
- MoH teams continued to make home visits to provide postnatal and neonatal care and advice to 1,580 mothers and their neonates. This agreement with MoH is a long-standing one that has been scaled-up to respond to current needs.
- UNICEF has entered into a new partnership with NECC, currently the only health care provider in Shejaiya since the MOH clinic in the area was totally destroyed.
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Humanitarian leadership and coordination UNICEF leads the Child Protection Working Group and affiliated groups for mental health and psychosocial sevices (MHPSS), and for monitoring and reporting of grave violations against children (MRM). These groups have been merged to maximise coordination of child protection responses during the emergency. UNICEF continues to lead the WASH cluster and co-lead the Education cluster with Save the Children, both in Gaza and at the national level, with dedicated staff capacity. Emergency Operations Centres (EOC) have been established in Gaza and Ramallah. |
Supply and Logistics
UNICEF has made efforts to use local suppliers where possible in the procurement and production of NFIs. However, in Gaza, there have been challenges around local suppliers being able to deliver on time. This has impacted on the speed at which some supplies have been distributed. UNICEF has tackled this by using more than one local supplier to meet demand.
Funding
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Funding requirements (as defined in revised in revised Gaza Crisis humanitarian appeal |
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Appeal Sector |
Requirements |
Funds received* |
Funding gap |
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$ |
% |
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|
Education 1 |
7,313,401 |
523,165 |
16,790,236 |
97% |
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WASH |
11,876,216 |
3,161,136 |
8,715,080 |
73% |
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Child Protection |
5,093,875 |
1,600,596 |
3,493,279 |
69% |
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Health & Nutrition |
4,729,536 |
747,343 |
3,982,193 |
84% |
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Cluster Coordination |
865,269 |
97,631 |
767,638 |
89% |
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Total |
39,878,297 |
6,129,871 |
33,748,426 |
85% |
Note 1: Total cash on hand is $7,823,909 of which $6,129,871 is funding received against the appeal for this year, and $1,694,038 is budget carried forward from prior years and reallocated to the SoP office.
Note 2: The above does not include the Emergency Programme Fund loan of $4 million received from UNICEF HQ.
Next SitRep: 2 October 2014
SoIrtIn Maria Olafsdottir, M&E and Gender Specialist, UNICEF SoP, Jerusalem, Phone: +972 (0)2 584 0410, mail: smolafsdottir@unicef.org, http://www.unicef.org/oPt/,
Download Document Files: https://unispal.un.org/pdfs/UNICEFSitRpt_250914.pdf
Document Type: Situation Report, Update
Document Sources: United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)
Subject: Armed conflict, Assistance, Ceasefire, Children, Closure of institutions, Education and culture, Gaza Strip, Health, Humanitarian relief, Incidents, Internally displaced persons, Living conditions, Population, Protection, Refugees and displaced persons, Security issues, Shelter, Water
Publication Date: 25/09/2014