When nightmares come true
People in the Gaza Strip are being displaced again and again. Just recently, a military offensive was launched in the city of Rafah, where more than 1,2 million Palestinians, half of them children, were desperately seeking refuge. Now they are forced to flee again. But where are they supposed to go? There is no safe place for them to escape to and they are starved, depleted and marked by numerous traumatic experiences. They need our help now more than ever.
The figures are staggering
125 Israeli people (37 of whom are presumed dead) have been held hostage since 7 October. Since then, at least 35.233 Palestinians, including 14.100 children, have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip as a result of the violence and its consequences. The proportion of children among the more than 79.141 injured is alarmingly high with at least 12.320 injured children (as of 15 May 2024).
In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, at least 480 people, including 128 children, have been killed in the same period. Here, too, several thousand Palestinians have been driven from their homes and have been forced to flee (as of 15 May 2024).
In total, around 3,3 million people in the State of Palestine are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
On the brink of famine
The malnutrition of children associated with food shortages is becoming a major problem in the Gaza Strip. In Gaza, a total of 95% of the population is facing acute food insecurity. 9 out of 10 children under the age of 2 do not receive the quality or quantity of food they need to survive and grow up.
Potentially fatal diseases are spreading
The infrastructure for water supply and wastewater treatment has been damaged. People lack clean water. The drinking water shortage is accompanied by outbreaks of potentially fatal diseases. Additionally, the number of cases of severe diarrhoea in children is rising rapidly.
Health crisis: vital hospitals are non-operational
Many hospitals and healthcare facilities have been damaged or destroyed in attacks. As reported by the WHO, 445 attacks on health care were recorded in the Gaza Strip between 7 October and 15 May. There were also 447 such attacks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Those hospitals that are still operational lack fuel and medical supplies. The healthcare system is collapsing and the remaining hospitals are extremely overburdened. And all this is happening in times when countless people urgently need treatment for injuries, malnutrition or illness.
How does UNICEF help?
Nutrition
To prevent malnutrition, we provide life-saving foods such as therapeutic milk, biscuits or peanut paste, micronutrient powders and sugar-salt preparations to treat diarrhoea. Our work also includes early detection and effective treatment of malnutrition.
Health
We provide hospitals with vaccines, fuel and medical supplies and support the restoration of basic medical care, for example by providing high-performance tents.
Water, sanitation and hygiene
We install mobile desalination plants, supply fuel for wastewater treatment plants and chlorine for water treatment to prevent disease outbreaks. Within two weeks, for instance, we were able to provide 183.000 litres of fuel, enabling us to supply over 1,6 million people, including over 0,8 million children, with vital potable water. Moreover, we are distributing important hygiene products.
Protection
We provide clothing items and offer children and families psychosocial support to help them cope with what they have witnessed. After numerous traumatic experiences, this help is essential.
“It is crucial that weapons go silent and children’s rights are respected. The children of Gaza, who have endured unimaginable horrors, deserve an immediate ceasefire and a chance for a peaceful future.”
Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa
