Published on December 08, 2023
(Information is valid as of 6 December 2023 at 22:30 local time)
Day 61 of Hostilities
Key Points
The Gaza Strip
- On 6 December, UNRWA was able to confirm that at least one additional colleague had been killed. In total, 133 UNRWA colleagues have been killed since 7 October.
- Since 7 October, up to 1.9 million people (or over 85 per cent of the population) have been displaced across the Gaza Strip. Many people have been displaced multiple times. Families are very vulnerable as they are forced to move and move again in search of safety.
- On 6 December, four UNRWA shelters in Khan Younis were evacuated following evacuation orders by Israeli Authorities. Verifications of details and casualty figures are ongoing.
- As of 6 December, almost 1.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) were sheltering in 151 UNRWA installations across all five governorates of the Gaza Strip, including in the North and Gaza City. More than 1 million IDPs were sheltering in 94 facilities in the Middle, Khan Younis and Rafah areas.
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem
- On 6 December, one Palestinian was killed, and three others were injured by live ammunition during an overnight search and arrest operation in Far’a refugee camp by Israeli Security Forces (ISFs) in the northern West Bank.
- In the morning of the same day, the ISF opened fire in clashes with Palestinians during a search and arrest operation in Dheisheh refugee camp, Bethlehem. Three Palestinians, including a child, were injured with live ammunition, and three others were detained.
- In the same morning, an exchange of fire took place between ISF and Palestinians during a search and arrest operation in Balata refugee camp, Nablus. Four Palestinians were injured with live ammunition and one Palestinian was detained. One of the Palestinians who was injured died later in the day due to injuries.
Overall Situation
The Gaza Strip
- According to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, between 7 October and 5 December, at least 16,248 Palestinians were reported killed in Gaza, about 70 per cent of whom are reported to be women and children.
- Overall, around 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel, according to Israeli Authorities, the vast majority on 7 October (OCHA).
The West Bank
- According to OCHA, since 7 October, 253 Palestinians, including 66 children, have been killed by ISF in the West Bank. In addition, eight people, including one child, have been killed by Israeli settlers.
Humanitarian Access, Protection of Civilians
The Gaza Strip
- An incident on 5 December was reported, with preliminary information indicating that an UNRWA staff member who was displaced at an UNRWA school was killed by shrapnel.
- On 6 December, so far two incidents have been reported impacting UNRWA schools and the IDPs sheltering there, both in Khan Younis. While verification of details and casualty figures are ongoing, initial reports indicate: two IDPs were killed at one of the schools that was directly impacted, while another school sustained damage. Both schools were among five in the area that had received evacuation orders from the ISF.
- 129 incidents impacting UNRWA premises have been reported since the beginning of the war, with some premises hit multiple times. 34 UNRWA installations were directly hit and 57 installations sustained collateral damage. UNRWA has also received reports of the military use of its facilities on at least five occasions.
- UNRWA estimates that in total at least 276 internally displaced people (IDPs) sheltering in UNRWA shelters have been killed and at least another 974 injured since the start of the war. UNRWA is still verifying the number of casualties caused by incidents that impacted its installations.
- Verification of details and casualty figures is ongoing due to difficulties in obtaining updated information from the Middle and Khan Younis areas as a consequence of the ongoing military operations.
UNRWA Response
The Gaza Strip
UNRWA Shelters
- In total, nearly 1.2 million displaced people are now sheltering in 151 UNRWA installations.
- The average number of IDPs in UNRWA shelters is 10,500, more than four times their capacity.
Health
- On average, there are 10,500 medical consultations in UNRWA health centres per day.
- On 6 December, one of the nine active health centres in the southern area was closed due to the escalation of hostilities in Khan Younis.
- Eight (out of 22) UNRWA health centres were still operational in the Middle and Southern areas, recording 8,044 patients visits, including Palestine Refugees and non-refugees.
- Midwives are providing care for post-natal and high-risk pregnant women at the nine operational health centres. There are an estimated 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza, with more than 180 giving birth every day. A total of 62 post-natal and high-risk pregnancy cases were attended to at health centres on 6 December. In addition, post-natal care continued in the shelters, with 1,371 cases attended to since 7 October.
- UNRWA continued to provide health care to IDPs at shelters through 97 medical teams on 4 December. 257 health workers attended to a total of 11,505 patients. Each team is composed of 1-2 doctors and a nurse.
- On 6 December, the medical team responded to 946 mental health cases, including individual consultations, awareness sessions, and support for gender-based violence cases.
Psychosocial support (PSS)
- UNRWA teams, including 196 social workers in the shelters, provided psychosocial first aid and other specialized protection services to IDPs. Since 7 October, 96,058 IDPs people have been reached.
- On 5 December, psychosocial support (PSS) efforts continued to be delivered to IDPs in UNRWA shelters by a team of 284 school counselors. In the reporting period, a total of 36,370 PSS sessions were provided, benefiting approximately 332,842 IDPs. Additionally, support was extended to 2,214 UNRWA staff members through a combination of in-person session and remote communication.
- In close cooperation with organizations such as “Humanity and Inclusion”, Sharek, Tamer, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, and Mindbody, a total of 14,636 recreational activities were organized for an estimated 395,461 children since the beginning of the hostilities.
Food Security
- UNRWA distribution of flour outside of shelters continued on 6 December in the southern governorates. A total of 54,863 families have been reached so far.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
- On 6 December, UNRWA continued to operate nine water wells pumping about 10,000 cubic metres to provide potable and domestic water. Potable water trucking operations to the shelters in Rafah and Khan Younis areas continue.
- Shelters in Rafah began to receive potable water through tankers from the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility.
- The Deir al Balah UNICEF Desalination Plant stopped operating due to the overall situation.
- Solid waste collection from the camps, emergency shelters and transfer to landfills continued in the Middle, Khan Younis and Rafah areas on 6 December. About 60 loadings were transferred to temporary dumping sites. There is an urgent need for additional sanitation trucks and vehicles.
- Emergency transfer services of solid waste from shelters continued with available resources. There is a shortage of sanitation trucks and vehicles. A private contractor started to support the collection and transfer of solid waste and preparation for a temporary dumping site in Rafah.
Quote from UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini
“We are reaching a point of no return in Gaza, where the blatant disregard for international humanitarian law scars our collective conscience. States must find the political will to end this tragedy.”
Read the full statement here.
#HearTheirVoices
ENDs –
Download Document Files:
https://www.un.org/unispal/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/unrwa_gaza_sitrep_46_dec_7_2023_eng_1.pdf
Document Type: Situation Report
Document Sources: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Subject: Armed conflict, Casualties, Children, Food, Gaza Strip, Internally displaced persons, Living conditions, Refugee camps, Refugees and displaced persons, Shelter, Violence, Water, West Bank
Publication Date: 08/12/2023
URL source: https://www.unrwa.org/resources/reports/unrwa-situation-report-47-situation-gaza-strip-and-west-bank-including-east-Jerusalem
Document Type: Situation Report
Document Sources: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Subject: Armed conflict, Casualties, Children, Food, Gaza Strip, Internally displaced persons, Living conditions, Refugee camps, Refugees and displaced persons, Shelter, Violence, Water, West Bank
Publication Date: 08/12/2023
URL source: https://www.unrwa.org/resources/reports/unrwa-situation-report-47-situation-gaza-strip-and-west-bank-including-east-Jerusalem