GAZA SITUATION REPORT 35
15 August 2014/ Issue No. 37
HIGHLIGHTS AT 16:30
- 225,831 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are sheltering in 81 UNRWA schools.
- UNRWA is providing support to a total of 250,000 IDPs taking refuge in UNRWA and government schools.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Calm prevailed over the reporting period, as day two of a five-day ceasefire held. Humanitarian agencies were again able to access all five areas of the Gaza Strip. UNRWA continued to provide essential supplies to women, men and children seeking refuge in each of its emergency shelters, participated in rapid assessments of the humanitarian situation, distributed regular and exceptional food assistance, rolled out psychosocial, health and hygiene initiatives and conducted maintenance and repairs to some of its installations.
- The population in Gaza is uncertain of what the future holds, and many families continue to move back and forth from homes to shelters.
- At the time of reporting, there remained 218,367 people sheltering in 87 UNRWA schools. The total number of people UNRWA is supporting through its own shelters and government schools, is over 256,000. Almost half of the displaced in UNRWA shelters are children below the age of 18.
- Better understanding the needs of IDPs in its shelters is an ongoing priority for UNRWA. The Agency has been rolling out an independent Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) assessment of its shelters to provide more detailed data on the access and quality of key UNRWA services including shelter provision, food, water and health. Special emphasis has been given to health and hygiene within the most crowded shelters. Protection topics affecting vulnerable groups such as women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities have been incorporated into the survey. To date, 27 installations of the current 87 total have been surveyed.
- UNRWA and WFP continued the exceptional food distribution to all families not currently receiving regular food aid from the two agencies. Over the past two days, about 41,000 of the eligible 143,000 families – or 30 per cent of the overall target – received a 30kg ration of flour and a 10kg ration of rice. A total of 10,531 rations were distributed yesterday, through 12 distribution centres.
- Since the last update, the Protection Cluster recorded 2 additional fatalities; including 2 adults, a 90 year old woman and a 60-year old man, who died from earlier sustained injuries. According to UN information, the cumulative death toll among Palestinians stands at 1975. Of these, 1417 are believed to be civilians, including 459 children and 239 women.
GENERAL
Past 24 hours: IDPs in Gaza continue moving to and from the emergency shelters, due to the continued uncertainty of what the current ceasefire means. The streets are busy as people buy supplies and prepare for the possibility of renewed hostilities.
UNRWA RESPONSE
- UNRWA, in cooperation with partners and donors, trucked 695.2 cubic metres of potable water to the shelters. This brings the potable water supply to approximately 3 litres per person per day, thus meeting the international minimum standards. This amount excludes bottled water delivered to the shelters in areas where the capacity of water suppliers is insufficient. 753 cubic meters of non-potable water were trucked by UNRWA, municipalities and contractors to the shelters.
- UNRWA delivered 26 trucks of non food items to shelters, including mattresses, blankets, diapers, toilet paper and cleaning products, as well as 57 truckloads of food to shelters in cooperation with WFP.
- UNRWA’s regular food distribution to a total caseload of over 830,000 beneficiaries continued on 14 August. Food rations were provided to 2,974 families through all 12 UNRWA distribution centres.
- Under the UNRWA/WFP exceptional food distribution to 143,000 families not currently receiving regular food aid from the two agencies, 10,531 rations were distributed through 12 UNRWA distribution centres.
- 14 of 21 health centres were operating, and this was the first time that all of these health centres had dental services available during the current ceasefire. 972 people went to the dentist at UNRWA health centres on 14 August.
- UNRWA’s Community Mental Health Programme continues to serve over 108,904 parents and engage over 120,089 children in recreational activities. UNRWA partner organizations, including the Sharek Youth Forum, continue to provide support. UNRWA partner organizations, including the Sharek Youth Forum, continue to provide support to adults and children.
- UNRWA’s Infrastructure and Camp Improvement Department staff and JCP workers carried out critical repair work in UNRWA installations.
- UNRWA also continued to provide its logistics capacity to supply fuel to municipalities, water, sanitation and health facilities through the WASH and Health clusters (led by UNICEF and WHO).
SUMMARY OF MAJOR INCIDENTS
No major incidents were reported.
UNRWA INSTALLATIONS
Data on damage to UNRWA installations is based on preliminary information and subject to change based on further verification. UNRWA estimates that 103 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.
- The Kerem Shalom crossing was open.
Document symbol: GazaSitRpt_Issue38
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, Ceasefire, 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: 15/08/2014
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, Ceasefire, 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: 15/08/2014