External Situation Report #13 20/July/2014
Highlights
- WFP is urgently procuring additional ready-to-eat food to replenish its stocks in Gaza. Food will be procured locally and from WFP's humanitarian depot in Dubai.
- WFP is providing emergency food assistance to approximately 82,150 people affected by the conflict in Gaza. This is in addition to the 285,000 people WFP reaches regularly with food assistance. The emergency relief includes:
- Emergency ready-to-eat food for 76,000 displaced people in Gaza that have taken refuge in UN shelters.
- Emergency electronic food vouchers to 685 displaced families – approximately 4,110 people – who are living with host families.
- A total of 2,039 patients and staff in hospitals continue to be assisted with emergency food rations.
- Fishermen and farmers, who have been deprived of their livelihoods, will start receiving emergency food vouchers.
- WFP is facing challenges to access commodities stored in warehouses in Khan Younis and in Deir al Balah due to security conditions on the ground.
- WFP and UNICEF will include water and sanitation items in the emergency food vouchers. In addition, WFP will supplement emergency food rations in shelters with additional ready-to-eat commodities, and in hospitals with food which can be cooked in hospital kitchens.
Situation Update
- GAZA
- The total stock of wheat available in Gaza mills as of 20 July is 8,250 mt, sufficient to cover the needs of Gaza's population for approximately 14 days.
- In case of an emergency, WFP has access to 4,750 mt of excess wheat flour stored at local mills in Gaza – if security conditions allow access to these mills. Together with wheat grain, which is currently being milled, the excess flour will cover the needs of WFP's 177,000 beneficiaries in Gaza for approximately two months.
WEST BANK
- The total stock of commercial staple foods available in the West Bank is sufficient to feed the entire West Bank population for one month in the event of a complete closure – until now the flow of commodities has not been interrupted.
- WFP's current stock of wheat is 4,895 mt, sufficient to cover WFP's in-kind caseload of 193,000 people for 4.5 months
- Stocks of other WFP commodities in the West Bank is 1358 mt and can meet the needs of WFP's 193,000 in-kind beneficiaries for 4.5-5 months.
- In case of an emergency, WFP also has access to an additional 6,000 mt wheat flour. The excess flour will cover the needs of WFP's 193,000 beneficiaries in the West Bank for approximately 5 months.
- WFP has programmed 500 emergency vouchers for the West Bank, 250 for Hebron governorate and 250 for Nablus governorate, as a contingency and is prepared to move from electronic vouchers to a manual system in case connectivity is limited.
WFP Response
GAZA
Emergency response:
- WFP assists approximately 76,000 displaced people in UN shelters with emergency food rations. The number of displaced people in shelters has now, as of 20 July, reached approximately 86,000 which means the number has quadrupled in three days. WFP will scale-up its assistance to meet the needs of the newly displaced people.
- On 21 July, WFP will distribute emergency food rations to 3,000 displaced people at eight government schools.
- In cooperation with Oxfam GB, WFP is distributing emergency food vouchers to displaced families whose houses were destroyed or severely damaged and who are staying in host communities. A total of 685 families (4,110 people) have been reached with vouchers. WFP is planning to reach an additional 648 families with emergency food vouchers in the coming days, bring the total to 1,333 families, or 7,998 people. All families receive a voucher with a monthly value of 240 NIS, or 60 NIS per week. As of 22 July, beneficiaries will also be able to purchase WASH items, such as water and sanitary kits, following a newly launched WFP-UNICEF partnership.
- WFP will soon provide emergency food vouchers to at least 5,160 fisherman who have been
- deprived of their livelihoods as a result of the conflict. Together with FAO, WFP is assessing the number of farmers which will require urgent food assistance.
- WFP also continues to reach patients and hospital staff with additional food assistance relating to the surge in patients and staff working long hours due to the conflict. WFP is reaching approximately 2,040 patients and hospital staff with bread parcels and canned tuna. WFP is working to include this surge operation with rations which can be cooked in hospital kitchens.
General food distributions:
- All General Food Distributions for the May-June cycle in Gaza, reaching 177,000 people, were completed end of June. WFP targeted households have sufficient food in their homes through August.
- The July-August distribution cycle in Gaza, which was initially supposed to start in the first week of August, will now start next week if security conditions permit.
- WFP continues to provide food assistance to hospitals. The July-August distribution cycle to institutions, including hospitals, which was planned to start in the first week of August, has been completed on 13 July to meet the immediate needs.
Food voucher programme:
- All beneficiaries have redeemed their entitlements for the third week of July.
- A total of 13 shops in Al Shuja'iyya, Al Tofah and Beit Lahia are closed due to the security conditions. If the current security situation in north Gaza further deteriorates a number of shops will have to close their doors.
WEST BANK
General food distributions:
- General Food Distributions for the April-June cycle in the West Bank, targeting 193,000 people, have been finalized.
- The July-September distribution cycle in the West Bank will start in the first week of August.
Food voucher programme:
- WFP continues to assess the impact of the situation in the West Bank on the voucher programme. So far no shortages have been reported.
Monitoring
Due to the current security situation in Gaza, WFP's monitoring activities have been restricted to remote monitoring, mostly via telephone calls to to traders and shops. Monitoring in the West Bank is ongoing.
GAZA
Basic commodities:
- No major price changes have been reported for basic commodities.
- All types of vegetables are available, but in less quantities because farmers cannot access their lands due to the security situation. Prices of some vegetables have gone up, such as for tomatoes, cucumbers and lemons.
Wheat and bakeries:
- There are approximately fifty bakeries in Gaza and half of these bakeries do not operate due to the difficulties in accessing their premises, while operating bakeries have wheat stocks for at least one week.
- Fuel stock at WFP contracted bakeries: Al Bann has a stock to cover at least 20 days, Ajour has a stock that covers the needs for 30 days, and Al Jonoub bakery has a stock to cover their needs for at least 30 days.
- Four out of six mills in Gaza are closed due to security reasons because there is no access to their premises. The mills are located in the in the eastern, northern and middle areas. The total stock of wheat for these mills is 3,150 mt.
Dairy products:
- Importers of dairy products from the West Bank keep a stock for two weeks. Local dairy products are also available and could cover shortages in Gaza in the event of a closure of Kerem Shalom cargo crossing.
Field observations:
Streets in Gaza are empty and shops are closed early. People only leave their houses to purchase the very essential, particularly food.
WEST BANK
Basic commodities:
- The food security situation in the West Bank remains stable. No price changes or shortages were noted for basic commodities.
- Purchase levels during Ramadan are lower than in previous years due to the uncertainty about the security situation.
- Market analysis only shows a small increase in the price of rice as well as a slight increase in the prices of tomato and chicken.
Wheat:
- Wheat is widely available and fluctuations are not expected. Bakeries are also functioning as usual.
Dairy products:
- Dairy products are available, but producers in the Hebron area reported a drop in sales of up to 30 percent over the past weeks due to access restrictions.
- Dairy producers shifted to increased production of long shelf-life products to minimize losses.
Food Security Sector & Clusters
- The FSS is preparing an in-depth food security needs assessment, using smart phones to collect data. The assessment will take place as soon as the circumstances in Gaza allow.
- In case of large scale displacement as result of increased violence, WFP remains ready for the activation of the clusters under its responsibility.
Resourcing Update
- WFP’s core humanitarian programmes in Palestine are facing critical funding shortfalls. The estimated funding requirements for all operations until the end of 2014 are US$ 20 million: US$ 5 million in Gaza and US$ 15 million in the West Bank.
- To cover the humanitarian needs as a result of the emergency in Gaza, WFP will require an additional US$ 2 million.
|
Rossella Fanelli Head of External Relations Email: Rossella.fanelli@wfp.org Tel: [+972] 2 5401340 2210 |
Yasmine Abuelassal Donor Relations Email: Yasmin.abuelassal@wfp.org Tel: [+972] 2 5401340 2215 |
Colin Kampschöer Reports Officer Email: Colin.kampschoer@wfp.org Tel: [+972] 54 677 3136 |
Document symbol: WFPSitRpt_200714
Download Document Files: https://unispal.un.org/pdfs/WFPSitRpt_200714.pdf
Document Type: Situation Report, Update
Document Sources: World Food Programme (WFP)
Subject: Armed conflict, Assistance, Food, Gaza Strip, Health, Humanitarian relief, Internally displaced persons
Publication Date: 20/07/2014
Download Document Files: https://unispal.un.org/pdfs/WFPSitRpt_200714.pdf
Document Type: Situation Report, Update
Document Sources: World Food Programme (WFP)
Subject: Armed conflict, Assistance, Food, Gaza Strip, Health, Humanitarian relief, Internally displaced persons
Publication Date: 20/07/2014