UNICEF State of Palestine Humanitarian Situation Report No. 34 (Year-End) - 01 January-31 December 2024
HIGHLIGHTS
- After a 15-months devastating war, the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic in the Gaza Strip. Most children have lost access to quality healthcare, education, water and other vital services.
- At least 14,500 children have reportedly been killed in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023, representing an average of 32 children killed every day, and many more are injured, while thousands are likely under the rubble, and an estimated 17,000 children are unaccompanied and/or separated.
- UNICEF with partners ensured the provision of water for a monthly average of 1.8 million people, including over 700,000 children, across the Strip.
- In the Gaza Strip, UNICEF has reached over 1 million individuals, including 502,000 children, with humanitarian cash transfers, as well as 1.4 million beneficiaries with nutrition products.
- In the West Bank, UNICEF facilitated inclusive and safe learning opportunities for 53,780 children through summer camp activities and supported over 61,000 people with medical supplies.
SITUATION OVERVIEW AND HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
2024 has been another terrible year for children across the State of Palestine. In the Gaza Strip, at least 14,500 children have reportedly been killed since 7 October 2023, and at least 23,000 estimated injured, while thousands are likely under the rubble, and an estimated 17,000 others are unaccompanied and/or separated children from their caregivers. At least 25 per cent of children who sustain injuries may experience long-term disabilities without access to rehabilitation services. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in the 15 month-period following 7 October 2023, there has been a 189 per cent increase in the number of Palestinian children killed in conflict related violence compared to the preceding period (July 2022 - October 2023). More than 1,200 Palestinian children have been injured, almost half by live ammunition. Over 65 per cent of conflict-related killings and violence in the West Bank have taken place in the northern governorates of Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya, Tubas and Tulkarem.
On 7 October 2023, 37 children were also killed in Israel and 36 children abducted into the Gaza Strip, with 34 subsequently released and the status of two Israeli children is still unknown. Three Israeli children were also killed near settlements in the West Bank in 2024.
The humanitarian situation remains catastrophic in the Gaza Strip, with more than 80.5 per cent of the territory under active or previously issued displacement orders. Children have lost access to quality healthcare, education, water, and other vital services while continuously being exposed to traumatic events with almost no specialized referral services available. Aside from death, many children are suffering injuries that can cause multiple disabilities, making them even more vulnerable. Medical evacuations of critical patients with serious medical conditions or those requiring specialized care for conflict-related injuries are still occurring, but have decreased by 94 per cent since the closure of the Rafah crossing in May 2024.
Regular attacks on civilian infrastructure, including health facilities, water wells, and networks, have crippled access to critical services. This, coupled with overcrowded and unhygienic living conditions, open sewage, and the lack of solid waste collection, has created a public health catastrophe. Waterborne diseases, including diarrhoea, Hepatitis A, and Polio, have emerged, posing a serious threat to children’s lives, especially those under the age of two. The detection of Poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in Gaza in July 2024, after 25 years of absence, has further intensified the health risks to children.
Persistent restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, commercial commodities, and access restrictions have rendered the population in Gaza acutely food insecure. All 335,000 children under five are at high risk of malnutrition.
Schools that are serving as shelters for displaced civilians have made it impossible for over 658,760 children to access regular, full-time education. One year of classroom learning has already been lost, and education is unlikely to resume in the 2024/2025 academic year. As a result, children’s education is projected to be set back by up to five years.
In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, extensive militarized operations by Israeli forces, coupled with rising settler violence and large-scale demolitions, have significantly increased children’s exposure to conflict-related violence, grave violations, and displacement, as well as impeded access to basic services.
The escalation of violence and hostilities across the State of Palestine has had an unprecedented impact on the Palestinian economy, reaching a record downturn in the first half of 2024, according to the latest official estimates by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Real GDP in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip plummeted by a staggering 34 per cent in the first half of 2024, year-on-year.
Unemployment has reached 51 per cent nationwide, while it is estimated that in Gaza it stands at 80 per cent. Poverty in the State of Palestine is projected to rise to 74.3 per cent in 2024, affecting 4.1 million people, including 2.61 million people who are newly impoverished.
The ESCWA/UNDP published policy brief estimated that by the end of 2024, the Human Development Index (HDI) in the State of Palestine may fall to 0.643, a level not seen since HDI calculations began in 2004. The HDI of the Gaza Strip is projected to drop to 0.408, erasing over 20 years of progress. The HDI of the West Bank is expected to decline to 0.676, reflecting a loss of 16 years of development.
