UNICEF in the State of Palestine Escalation Humanitarian Situation Report No.21 (Reporting Period: 07 – 20 March 2024)

23 March 2024

Highlights

The entire population of 2.23 million people in the Gaza Strip is facing high levels of acute food insecurity, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, and famine is imminent as half of the population – 1.1 million people – experience catastrophic food insecurity.

Only 3 litres of water are available per person per day (median) across 75 shelter sites, as analysed by the WASH Cluster in a recent assessment. It found also that 33 per cent of all sites had water sources that were unsafe for drinking, and only 4 per cent of shelter sites have water treatment systems at the water source.

Even minimal health care is at risk, as hospitals across the Gaza Strip struggle to maintain operations and to save lives, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO). Patients and medical personnel also lack food and water.

UNICEF brought fifty incubators for newborns into the Gaza Strip which were installed at three specialized hospitals. This reduces infection risks, as previously up to four newborns had to be accommodated in a single incubator.

UNICEF has moved 48 trucks into the Gaza Strip in the past two weeks with critical emergency supplies such as water pipes, various vaccines, syringes, acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) periphery kits for 6,900 patients, obstetric surgical kits to cover 2,500 deliveries, 11,300 synthetic blankets, 750 family tents, 7,800 sleeping mats, and 1,500 dignity kits.

In the West Bank, UNICEF continued to provide essential child protection and response services to 1,120 individuals, of whom 580 were children and 540 caregivers, including mental health and psychosocial support services.