UNICEF in the State of Palestine Escalation Humanitarian Situation Report No.25 (Reporting Period: 02 to15 May 2024)

28 May 2024

Highlights

• More than 800,000 people were recently reported as displaced from Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, and about 100,000 people were reported displaced in the north, according to UN estimates as of 22 May. Approximately 285 km² has been placed under evacuation orders (around 78 per cent of the Gaza Strip).

• Since the closure of the Rafah border crossing on 7 May 2024, UNICEF’s and partner ability to deliver humanitarian aid is seriously hampered given increased challenges related to ongoing population movements, lack of access and overall security, as well as the lack of entry of assistance.

• A report by the PSEA Network counted more than 4,800 complaints about sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) since October 2023. UNICEF provided care and counselling sessions through the helpline and the PSEA Network, which served as entry points for referrals to other services.

• Given the closure of the Rafah crossing, UNICEF was able to provide only 105,000 litres of fuel in the past two weeks, which marks a 43 per cent decrease compared with the preceding two-week period. The delivered fuel helped produce lifesaving water for over 1.1 million people, including over 600,000 children. However, the provision of WASH services has deteriorated due to a lack of fuel, damages to several WASH facilities, and restricted access into and within the Gaza Strip.

• UNICEF moved 11 trucks into the Gaza Strip during the reporting period via the Rafah border crossing prior to its closure (in the previous reporting period: 98 trucks), to bring in critical emergency supplies: 1,400 Dignified Family Hygiene Kits for 19,264 individuals; and 1,200 cartons of lipid-based nutrient supplements benefiting 24,000 children; as well as 1,080 cartons of ready-to-use therapeutic food benefiting 1,080 children via the Erez border crossing.