Gaza Humanitarian Response Update | 13-26 October 2024

Response

• UNRWA health teams have relocated to Gaza city, where only one UNRWA medical point at a small school remains functional, after the agency’s medical points in North Gaza were destroyed.
• Since 7 October 2024, there have been 50 active Blanket Supplementary Feeding Programme (BSFP) sites in Gaza governorate, targeting pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) as well as children under the age of five (U-5). Between 8 and 27 October, one WFP partner has remained active in Gaza city and distributed 30-day rations of medium-quantity Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (LNS-MQ) at the 50 nutrition sites, serving 11,583 PBW and children U-5. Moreover, since 7 October 2024, WFP, like other partners, has lost access to the seven nutrition sites that had been active in North Gaza governorate between 1 and 7 October, with no emergency rations of LNS-MQ distributed. BSFP is the distribution of special supplementary food with high energy and micronutrients to cover the specific needs of children U-5 and PBW.
• With the Kamal Adwan Hospital operating at minimum capacity, both operations at the Stabilization Center (SC) for the treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) within the facility and Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) services for acutely malnourished children have been disrupted. Prior to the recent intensification of hostilities, two children suffering from SAM with complications were receiving in-patient care at the SC, while around 100 received OTP services at Kamal Adwan. These children have now been displaced along with their families and efforts are ongoing to locate and refer them to available SCs in areas to which they have been displaced, primarily within Gaza city. Meanwhile, the Benevolent Society Stabilization Center in Gaza city remains active and continues to admit children.
• Juzoor for Health and Development, a local NGO, has lost staff members but continued to operate in northern Gaza to support the delivery of emergency health care services. Moreover, UNICEF and Juzoor have started the distribution of ready-to-use complementary food in northern Gaza, aiming to expand this activity to three additional partners in the area. 
• In central and southern Gaza, the Nutrition Cluster, with support from UNICEF, integrated vitamin A supplementation in the second round of the emergency polio campaign.
• As part of winterization preparedness efforts, UNRWA has commenced the distribution of warm clothing for newborns and infants, compliant with WHO guidelines, to prevent hypothermia, prioritizing severely malnourished babies and those experiencing breastfeeding difficulties. Since the beginning of October, WFP’s nutrition activities have reached around 100,000 people in central and southern Gaza. WFP has actively resumed its blanket supplementary feeding programme in An Nuseirat and Al Maghazi refugee camps in Deir al Balah, after regaining access to these localities following months of restricted access.
• So far in October, partners reported 1,400 children have been receiving outpatient treatment of malnutrition across the Gaza Strip. Efforts are also underway to scale up the capacity of SCs, particularly in the middle area, as the number of cases increased. In September, 82 children suffering from SAM with complications were admitted to SCs, more than half of whom were treated at An Nuseirat Medical Complex in Deir al Balah.  
• In terms of prevention, Action Against Hunger has already carried out assessments to support the establishment of 11 new mother and baby-friendly spaces in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates.

Challenges

• The escalation of hostilities and evacuation orders have severely affected the implementation of activities by Nutrition Cluster partners, especially in North Gaza, due to reduced access to health services. This has caused delays in detecting malnutrition cases and initiating treatments for children in need as well as compromised follow-ups on cases of children already under treatment.
• Since January, and despite several attempts to scale up the nutrition programme, recurrent displacement, including of nutrition partners themselves, shrinking humanitarian space, and continued supply chain complications, have not allowed for full coverage of the needs, despite the prepositioning of adequate quantities of supplies outside the Gaza Strip.
• A sharp reduction in the number of commercial trucks entering the Strip could further jeopardize the nutrition status of already vulnerable children who have suffered for months from very poor access to adequate diet, water and hygiene products. This is also raising commodity prices beyond the sharp increases already registered since the escalation of the hostilities in October 2023 and threatening the market's stability, which could have severe consequences for malnutrition.

Response

• As of 28 October, 12 out of 19 bakeries supported by WFP remained functional in the Strip – four in Gaza city, seven in Deir al Balah and one in Khan Younis. Two bakeries in North Gaza governorate and five in Rafah remain closed due to escalating hostilities. In Gaza governorate, all four bakeries continue to operate, and bread is delivered daily to some shelters and community kitchens for onward distribution along with cooked meals. The eight bakeries in central Gaza are operating at 70 per cent of their capacity due to severe supply shortages.
• As of the third week of October, approximately 450,000 cooked meals prepared in about 140 kitchens were distributed daily to families across the Strip. This is 150,000 meals less than late September due to dwindling supplies. Some kitchens were forced to close due to escalating hostilities, and for those that remain operational, partners had to adjust the meal content to cope with supply shortages. In North Gaza governorate, all eight kitchens that were operational as of the end of September have been suspended or became inaccessible due to ongoing hostilities.
• The Food Security Sector is strengthening its presence in Gaza governorate, including through multi-day missions, to support partners in emergency food assistance coordination. FSS partners who have food commodities entering through the Erez West Crossing are working jointly to maximize coverage in Gaza city with the limited resources available and prioritizing the needs of newly displaced people. Between 1 and 26 October, about 120,000 people in Gaza city had received at least one food parcel, with some others receiving one 25-kilogramme bag of wheat flour.
• FSS, jointly with other clusters, is expanding operational coordination efforts to better understand partners’ current capacities in North Gaza governorate, which has been largely cut off for more than three weeks, in preparation for any potential window for multi-sectoral aid delivery.
• Following the release of the IPC Acute Food Security and Acute Malnutrition Snapshot on 17 October, FSS, jointly with the Nutrition Cluster, led the in-country dissemination efforts to advocate for sustained access to adequate food, medical supplies, water, and basic services across the Gaza Strip and contain the risk of a rapid descent into famine.
• The FSS continues to advocate for: the entry of agriculture and livestock inputs, which are critical to support the restoration of local food production; the entry of commercial goods at scale to complement humanitarian efforts, increase dietary diversity, stimulate the local economy by enhancing the affordability and availability of goods, and improve cash liquidity; and all aid corridors to serve all land entry points into Gaza and be used for all types of cargo.

Challenges

• Humanitarian aid entering Gaza is at its lowest level in months. This dramatic drop in humanitarian supplies is coupled with a critical shortage of commercial goods, with no more than 100 trucks of commercial supplies having reportedly entered the Strip since 1 October. As the winter months and rainy season approach, people generally find themselves without adequate shelter, fuel or aid. If physical road access, healthcare provision, as well as energy, water, sanitation, hygiene, and shelter conditions deteriorate further, the already alarming rates of food insecurity and malnutrition are likely to worsen.
• In central and southern Gaza, the month of October has seen very limited food parcel distribution due to severe supply shortages. As of the last week of October, more than 1.7 million people, or 80 per cent of the population, have not received their monthly food rations in the Strip, compared with 1.4 million people in September and one million in August. People have run out of ways to cope, food systems have collapsed, and the risk of famine persists, necessitating an immediate, at scale resumption of humanitarian supply flow into the Strip.
• Insecurity and looting, fueled by the breakdown in public order and safety, in the area around Kerem Shalom crossing has disrupted commodity resupply and bakery operations, leading to fluctuating bread production in central and southern Gaza since early October. As of 28 October, due to the continuous unavailability of flour, all seven bakeries in Deir al Balah and the only one in Khan Younis were operating at reduced capacity to avoid shutting down, with partners seeking to assess possible mitigating measures.
• As of late October 2024, about 100,000 metric tonnes of food commodities, equivalent to over two months of food rations for the whole population, continue to await entry outside of the Strip and must be urgently brought in to avert a further decrease in food distribution. The risk of spoilage and infestation of stranded food supplies have also significantly increased.
• The significant increase in firewood prices continues to push an increasing number of people into energy poverty, exacerbated by the limited availability of gas and the ongoing electricity cuts. It is anticipated that the energy crisis will worsen as the rainy winter season approaches. No cooking gas has entered the north for more than 12 consecutive months. Protracted shortages of energy sources for cooking continue to force displaced families to cook by burning wood from waste, which hinders proper food preparation and nutrition intake, exacerbates health and protection risks, and causes environmental hazards.

Response

• Following its reopening on 14 October, the Logistics Cluster continued cargo operations to collect aid supplies from Erez West crossing point, albeit intermittently owing to access restrictions and reduced operating hours due to holidays in Israel.
• The requirement for the new Declaration Form was lifted on convoys traveling directly from Amman via the Jordan Corridor to northern Gaza. Between 13 and 26 October, three direct convoys comprising a total of 80 trucks were dispatched from Amman to Gaza via Erez West entry point. These include 40 inter-agency trucks carrying 405 metric tonnes of food, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), shelter and mixed cargo items, the transport of which was facilitated by the Logistics Cluster on behalf of six partners. All convoy information is available on the interactive dashboard.
• Since October 2023 and as of 26 October, 18,310 cubic metres of humanitarian cargo were consolidated at the common warehouse in Amman, where a new racking system is being installed to increase storage capacity. In addition, the Logistics Cluster continued to support the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) in augmenting its storage capacity by installing three Mobile Storage Units (MSUs) - in addition to the two MSUs that had been installed in June – bringing the total increase of space to 1,600 square metres.
• As of 23 October, 944 UN and International NGO trucks were in Al Arish, ready for dispatch into Gaza. The trucks are mainly carrying food items, in addition to health, shelter, non-food items, water, sanitation and hygiene and other aid supplies.

Challenges

• Significant access and security constraints continue to hamper the Logistics Cluster ability to facilitate common logistics services at entry points and throughout the Gaza Strip. During the reporting period, the Cluster could not complete any aid cargo transport from the Kerem Shalom entry point. Disruptions to entry points’ operating hours due to the holidays observed in Israel until 27 October have further limited the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip.

Response

• Between 19 and 25 October, the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) reported that the average water supply for safe drinking and domestic purposes was about 102,000 cubic metres per day across the Gaza Strip, less than a quarter of water supply prior to October 2023. This includes 61,000 cubic metres of water produced by municipal water wells, excluding those that are currently inaccessible in Jabalya and Beit Lahya.
• Between 13 and 25 October, WASH Cluster partners received a total of 290,026 litres of fuel south of Wadi Gaza, or an average of 22,309 litres per day, which represents only 32 per cent of the minimum daily requirement of 70,000 litres to meet critical WASH and public health needs. This delivery marks a seven per cent increase compared to the quantity received during the previous reporting period. On 25 October, 20,000 litres of fuel were delivered to Gaza city to support the operation of 16 wells and one pumping station. No fuel quantities have been delivered to WASH facilities in North Gaza governorate since 1 October, with fuel missions being consistently denied access by the Israeli authorities.
• Winterization preparedness activities are advancing, including drainage and stormwater clearance taking place around designated emergency shelters and in accessible urban areas.
• The WASH Cluster continues to advocate for the imperative to ensure the safety and security of water operators and protect critical WASH infrastructure, after four water engineers and two water well operators were killed during the reporting period (please see more details below).

Challenges

• Since October 2023, the entry of critical de-sludging and dewatering pumps, essential for mitigating stormwater and sewage flooding, has been severely restricted by the Israeli authorities. This is impeding efforts to stabilize and manage flooded stormwater basins and sewage ponds, particularly in vulnerable areas such as Beit Lahiya, Jabalya, and Gaza city. Four stormwater basins (2 in North Gaza, 1 in Gaza, and 1 in Khan Younis), which are mixed with sewage, are at high risk of overflow, posing serious health and environmental threats. In total, ten stormwater basins across the Gaza Strip require immediate repairs and regular operation during the winter. Proactive solutions, the entry of dewatering pumps, desludging pumps, jetting and vacuum trucks are critical for effective flood management. 
• Due to the lack of fuel in Gaza city, the eight private water providers have ceased operation, and municipal wells have had limited production levels. In Jabalya, no fuel has been delivered since the start of October, forcing CMWU teams to either significantly ration or halt water production altogether.
• CMWU has suspended all operations requiring coordination with the Israeli authorities outside the Israeli-designated zone in Al Mawasi, and in other locations where heavy equipment is needed, which is likely to negatively affect winterization preparedness efforts. This suspension followed the killing of four CMWU engineers on 19 October while travelling in a clearly marked vehicle during a mission approved by the Israeli authorities the same morning.
• The strike on Safa well field in Gaza city on 24 October killed two municipal well operators and damaged this critical source of water that has four wells each with a production capacity of 500 cubic metres per hour. While a site assessment is yet to be conducted, the damage is likely to negatively affect water supply in Gaza city, where ground water resources are limited and IDPs from Jabalya continue to move.
• Evacuation orders, intense military operations and loss of access to numerous WASH facilities in the North Gaza and Khan Younis governorates have rendered many water producing and wastewater collection facilities inoperable. Moreover, the military operation in Khan Younis on 24 October has displaced many families, who are now in urgent need of water.
• None of the ten critical solid waste sites in flood prone areas have yet been relocated due to the denial of access by the Israeli authorities to Sofa landfill and Al Khasera dump site and the lack of alternative disposal locations. This is hampering winterization preparedness measures since the removal of solid waste from flood prone areas aims at reducing the run-off of solid waste by stormwater flooding, thereby mitigating public health risks.

Response

• Between 13 and 26 October, Cluster partners distributed at least 121 family tents, 1,300 sealing off kits (SOKs), as well as other critical NFIs to households in need across northern Gaza, particularly following the new waves of displacement from North Gaza to Gaza governorate.
• In southern Gaza, about 100 families were provided with tents. These families were families affected by the targeting of schools or other sites being used as shelters for displaced people.
• As part of winterization preparedness, the Cluster distributed SOKs and tarpaulin to 5,800 people living in substandard shelters during the reporting period.

Challenges

• In northern Gaza, Shelter Cluster partners are facing critical shortages due to access impediments and escalating hostilities. Partners have either already distributed or earmarked items, or supplies stored at warehouses have become inaccessible. While shelter items are being prioritized on the Fence Road, the number of trucks carrying shelter items through this channel is insufficient to cover the needs.
• Due to consistent challenges in bringing shelter materials into Gaza, the Cluster has been forced to prioritise the bare minimum of shelter items, such as SOKs, tarpaulins, plastic sheets, ropes and duct tapes, which can only enhance existing, makeshift shelters, instead of providing full, dignified shelter solutions to people in need.
• Extreme weather will exacerbate the risk of collapse of damaged buildings in which many families are sheltering. Without access to undertake assessments, capacity to conduct repairs, or the ability to provide alternatives, the Cluster is limited to providing awareness raising services related to the risks of sheltering in damaged buildings.

Response

• During the reporting period, SWMG partners conducted 20 site assessments in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah governorates, with findings highlighting a shift in priority needs from water and WASH items to food and shelter/NFI. These included five displacement sites that host 4,950 people displaced to Gaza city by the escalation of hostilities in North Gaza; these were assessed during an inter-agency multi-sectoral mission that identified the following priority needs: increased site-level coordination and support to vulnerable people; WASH interventions with a focus on hygiene kits and latrines; and Shelter/NFI support including clothing, mattresses, tarps and tents, especially for IDPs living in makeshift shelters and other extremely vulnerable conditions.
• Over the past three weeks, SMWG partners supported at least 109 households (307 people) traveling to southern Gaza across checkpoints on Al Rashid and Salah ad Din roads with water and referrals for specialized services. Among those assisted was a pregnant woman in active labour, who was provided with ambulance support after she had walked seven kilometres across the checkpoint with her two small children.
• In preparation for a baseline site assessment initiative, the SMWG trained over 60 enumerators on the use of a new site management and assessment platform devised by the working group.
• SMWG partners have begun carrying out winterization activities in at least 32 sites, supporting site-level committees with financial, technical, and in-kind support for site improvement works including cleaning, maintenance of common facilities, and drainage.

Challenges

• Partners are unable to procure tools and equipment on the local market for winterization activities in makeshift sites.
• Many of the over 100,000 newly displaced people in Gaza city are living in abandoned or destroyed government buildings, office buildings and homes. This presents a challenge to site identification and service delivery.
• IDP sites continue to be destroyed by the Israeli military, resulting in death, injury, and further displacement.

Response

• After months of critical shortages, during the reporting period, over 9,000 dignity kits entered Gaza and are currently being distributed to women in need through GBV partners; priority is being given to women and girls with disabilities and their caregivers, elderly women without care, as well as women with chronic illnesses or injuries. The Cluster also delivered hygiene kits to 1,782 families with vulnerable people and, through a partnership with Humanity & Inclusion, hearing aids and batteries were provided to four persons with hearing impairments.
• During the reporting period, UNRWA’s protection teams visited 28 shelters and IDP sites in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah, including Al Mawasi, conducted 18 focus group discussions, 23 key informant interviews and continued to monitor aid distribution, and to identify and follow up on vulnerable cases. Awareness raising sessions on Explosive Ordnance, gender-based violence (GBV) and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) were also conducted in UNRWA shelters and IDP sites, reaching 380, 158 and 371 people, respectively. The teams also monitored learning activities in UNRWA shelters and delivered BBC Lifeline podcast activities to 478 children.
• Jointly with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other partners, the UNRWA Protection team provided immediate support for two released Gaza detainees, including transportation to a medical facility and cash assistance for onward transportation, facilitation of telephone contact with relatives, provision of food parcels, hygiene kits and other non-food items, and referrals to the UNRWA Relief and Social Services programme.
• The Protection Cluster participated in an inter-agency mission to Gaza city between 17 and 22 October, visiting shelters hosting IDPs and engaging with Protection partners to ensure effective information sharing on needs and response coordination.
• Child Protection partners are endeavoring to scale-up the response to displacement in northern Gaza, focusing on the provision of community-based mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS) and on identifying vulnerable children for case management, family tracing and cash assistance. Between 1 January and 14 October, a total of 471,759 people were reached with MHPSS, including 173,346 girls, 149,995 boys, 90,513 women, and 57,905 men. Recent activities, including the launch of a mobile cinema initiative, provide children with a sense of normalcy, even if only for a few hours.
• With winter fast approaching, Child Protection partners are endeavoring to bring in the necessary supplies to address the lack of warm clothing and footwear for children.
• GBV partners have established a task force aimed at training women-led civil society groups and committees in shelters and IDP sites on Psychological First Aid (PFA), GBV core concepts, guiding principles, and safe identification and referrals using the GBV service map. The aim is to equip women with skills to protect each other and encourage help-seeking attitudes even when service providers are absent due to the insecurity.
• With support from UN Women, GBV partners are organizing a campaign with the theme “16 Days of Activism against GBV in Gaza,” focused on protecting the security, privacy and safety of women and girls in overcrowded sites and shelters.

Challenges

• Only half of the targets set by the Cluster for the period between April and September 2024 have been accomplished due to increasing restrictions on the movement of staff and goods, and disruptions caused by repeated forced displacement of the population and service providers.
• The acute lack of NFIs, especially tents, tarpaulin, mattresses, medicines and cleaning materials, continues to severely affect living conditions at UNRWA shelters and other IDP sites. Many IDPs in UNRWA shelters in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah have reported experiencing food shortages, with the very limited assistance available contributing to increased tensions within displaced communities.
• The protection environment in northern Gaza remains dire, with vulnerable people facing heightened protection risks and often being unable to evacuate due to health conditions and disabilities.
• The safety and security of service providers, and of service delivery points, remains a key concern for Protection partners, compounded by challenges in scaling up services beyond MHPSS, particularly the provision of cash and voucher assistance and dignity kits.
• Data collected through the GBV Case Management monitoring tool during the reporting period highlight that denial of services is one of the most reported instances of GBV. Denial of access to resources and services is a form of deliberate deprivation. According to the data, women and girls in Gaza are being denied access to basic resources inside households, such as food and water, or access to services (e.g. health) by a family member or even a community member. This type of GBV is directed against women and girls usually, as they will not, for example, queue in the violent gatherings at the distribution points or, are plainly denied food by a household member (partner, or a host family). Most of the reported cases indicate that the perpetrators are partners (44 per cent) and family members (37 per cent). 
• The absence of a functioning legal system and lack of law enforcement heavily hampers efforts to protect GBV survivors and persons at risk of GBV. While legal aid is offered among the specialized GBV services, ensuring the physical safety of survivors is particularly challenging. Available legal aid includes counselling and legal advice in securing the documentation of the violence as well as preparing cases for the expected resumption of the legal system in the future. Survivors have their questions and concerns related to marriage, family law and inheritance answered by an expert, helping them make informed decisions about separation and divorce.
• The intensification of military operations in northern Gaza has placed children and their families at heightened risk of being killed, injured or reportedly detained. Protection field data also indicates instances of Israeli forces using children as shields or to search buildings for booby-traps or fighters during ground operations. Family separation is a critical concern, placing children in highly vulnerable situations as they are exposed to grave violations without any parental care or support.

Response

• During the reporting period, the Education Cluster established two new Temporary Learning Spaces (TLSs), benefiting approximately 360 students. Beyond receiving informal learning focused on essential literacy and numeracy skills, school-age children in these spaces receive MHPSS and participate in activities aimed at addressing trauma.  
• Communities also continue to endeavor to create learning opportunities for children, with over 15 new initiatives reported to the Cluster during the past two weeks, serving more than 1,500 children. Despite resource constraints, Education Cluster partners continue to assess needs and extend support to these initiatives to ensure that activities implemented meet Cluster standards. This includes distribution of supplies and the conduct of orientation sessions for teachers.
• In an effort to accredit some of the TLSs, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has designated a team tasked to inspect informal learning spaces and verify which initiatives meet the MoE standards for accreditation, so that children in these spaces will soon have the opportunity to transition to other classes. While a few TLSs are likely to meet the standards, this is an important initiative to encourage partners to improve service provision and parents and children to enroll in the spaces to continue learning.

Challenges

• The continued targeting of schools is severely hampering the emergency education response throughout Gaza. Between 13 and 26 October, 31 incidents were reported, affecting 22 schools run by the UN and eight managed by the Palestinian Authority, with some schools impacted multiple times. Of these incidents, 20 occurred in the North Gaza governorate. In total, 57 incidents affecting schools were recorded between 1 and 26 October, including airstrikes, forced evacuations, shelling, and arson. These attacks continue to further destroy educational infrastructure, resulting in loss of life and instilling fear among parents and children. There is an urgent need for enhanced advocacy to uphold International Humanitarian Law.
• Ongoing restrictions on the entry of tents and other educational supplies continue to hamper the establishment of additional TLSs, which is critical in light of the widespread destruction of educational infrastructure and the approaching winter season.
• Funding for Education Cluster partners remains critically low, with less than half of the necessary funds requested by the Cluster under the updated OPT Flash Appeal secured. With only two months left in 2024, partners are unlikely to meet targets outlined in the Appeal. The start of the new academic year in September also highlights the urgent need for support to help children engage in learning and prevent their complete dropout from schools.

Response

• The security communications trainer identified by the ETC arrived in Deir al Balah on 20 October. The trainer will collaborate with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security [UNDSS] to conduct sessions on Security Communications Systems [SCS] and orientation on using satellite phones and satellite-based tracking devices [Garmin and Track24] for United Nations Security Management System [UNSMS] personnel to enhance staff safety and security.
• In addition to other orientation sessions for UN personnel to enhance staff safety and security, a training to further develop the Gaza Security Operations Centre’s (SOC) capacity and improve staff proficiency in using Very High Frequency (VHF) radios is scheduled to start on 27 October.
• A total of 78 additional “Track24” satellite-based devices are currently being dispatched from the United Kingdom, with delivery expected in Jerusalem during the week of 27 October. The ETC Cluster has secured a pre-clearance from the Israeli authorities to expedite customs procedures upon arrival at the Tel Aviv airport. To date, the Israeli authorities have approved 83 devices, including 25 delivered to Gaza to support WFP operations.
• The ETC Cluster continues to advocate for the need to import more telecommunications equipment into Gaza to set up common communications services. More information on ETC activities can be accessedhere.

Challenges

• Due to increased restrictions on the movement of commodities, damaged infrastructure and lack of fuel and availability of spare parts, local Mobile Network Operators and Internet Service Providers in the Gaza Strip continue to experience network outages and are unable to conduct the necessary repairs. Severely limited availability of telecommunications equipment is hampering the delivery of ETC services. A significant amount of equipment has been damaged or destroyed, and the import of new equipment is lengthy and challenging. Only 20 satellite phones, 25 Track24 devices, 30 VHF digital radios, and four solar power solutions have been imported into Gaza since 7 October 2023, following coordination with Israeli authorities. 
• Increasing insecurity, displacement, and relocation of staff from Rafah to Deir al Balah have rendered it difficult to deploy shared ETC communications services or provide face-to-face technical support for humanitarian responders. 
• The lack of funding has limited the ETC Cluster’s capacity to address immediate communications needs for humanitarian responders in Gaza. Thus far, only 45.8 per cent of funding requested by the Cluster ($1.8 million) under the updated OPT Flash Appeal has been received.

Response

• Between 23 September and 15 October, a total of 85 participants (42 per cent male and 58 per cent female) from 60 organizations attended a three-day, in-person PSEA Training of Trainers (ToT) in central and southern Gaza, delivered by 11 champion PSEA trainers. The attendees belonged to the Protection, Health, Nutrition, Education, WASH, Food Security and Shelter clusters, as well as to the general relief services.
• In October, PSEA Network member organizations referred 622 cases to Cash-for-Protection schemes.

Challenges

• Internet and telecommunication blackouts continue to hinder awareness raising on PSEA at the community level as well as effective reporting on potential SEA cases.

Protection against sexual abuse and exploitation (PSEA) remains a cross-cutting priority for all clusters. Aid distribution must be delivered with dignity and respect. Any wrongdoing can be reported through SAWA toll-free number 164. SAWA will assist and provide services free of charge and with the utmost confidentiality.