Gaza Humanitarian Response Update | 24 November - 7 December 2024

Response

• In November, 4,133 children were admitted for outpatient treatment of acute malnutrition, out of 75,000 screened children. Cumulatively, 33,588 children have been admitted for treatment since the beginning of 2024, representing more than two-thirds of the cluster estimate of the number of children who require treatment for acute malnutrition in 2024. Since July, the number of admissions has increased to more than 4,000 per month.
• WFP and UNICEF partners distributed different types of supplementary feeding for children in November, notwithstanding delays in the first half of the month due to logistical challenges. In total, the partners reached 146,000 children between six and 59 months of age in Rafah, Khan Younis, Deir al Balah and Gaza governorates.
• During the reporting period, UNICEF introduced a new ready-to-use complementary food programme in Gaza city, reaching 9,087 children between six and 23 months of age with fruit and vegetable-based baby food. The programme will be scaled up, especially since the findings of a new post-distribution monitoring (PDM) survey conducted by UNICEF during the reporting period showed that nearly 100 per cent of children between six and 23 months of age and pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) in both Gaza city and southern Gaza (Deir al Balah and Khan Younis) are not meeting minimum dietary diversity, which is defined as receiving foods from at least four out of seven food groups, with respondents in southern Gaza noting a sharp decline in the availability of goods in markets.

Challenges

• Cluster partners are not able to screen regularly enough all 346,000 children under five years of age to detect malnutrition cases that require treatment due to access challenges. So far in the fourth quarter of 2024, only 151,400 Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) screenings of children have been conducted.
• In North Gaza, due to the escalation of hostilities, evacuation orders and tightened siege, all Nutrition Cluster partner activities remain suspended, including the treatment of acutely malnourished children and supplementary feeding for children and PBW.
• The massive displacement of people from North Gaza to Gaza city has caused delays in detecting and initiating treatment for malnutrition cases and compromised required follow ups for children already under treatment. 
• The near halt to commercial trucks entering the Gaza Strip has not only driven commodity prices up and threatened market stability but also worsened the nutritional status of vulnerable children and women, who for months have faced severely limited access to adequate food, water and hygiene products.
• Shrinking humanitarian space and continued supply chain complications, including the inability to reliably pick up supplies from the Kerem Shalom Crossing due to insecurity and the risk of looting, have prevented full coverage of the needs, despite the prepositioning of adequate quantities of supplies outside the Gaza Strip.

Response

• As of late November, approximately 470,000 cooked meals prepared in 151 kitchens were distributed daily to families across the Strip. As supply shortage continues, partners have been adjusting the meal content or reducing the number of meals prepared to cope with the challenges.
• During the month of November, about 1.3 million people across the Strip received reduced rations of at least one food parcel, noting that the figure is tentative as monthly data reconciliation by partners is ongoing.
• As of 9 December, only four out of 19 bakeries supported by WFP remained operational across the Strip, all of them in the Gaza governorate. These bakeries have been operating at full capacity since 7 December and have received additional fuel from southern Gaza on 8 December, after functioning at only half capacity due to fuel shortages between 30 November and 6 December. Bread delivery to some shelters and community kitchens for distribution along with cooked meals has also resumed. In Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, all eight bakeries remain closed due to flour shortages and security concerns related to overcrowding, while partners continue prioritizing household-level flour distribution, with each family receiving at least one 25-kg bag of wheat flour as the stock becomes available gradually. Meanwhile, in North Gaza and Rafah, seven bakeries remain closed due to ongoing hostilities.
• To mitigate severe shortages of wheat flour, the latter is currently being prioritized for entry into the Strip via the Fence Road. According to anecdotal market observations, the price of one 25-kg bag of flour spiked to at least 1,000 NIS ($280) on 1 December in Deir al Balah amid severe scarcity, while it costs 875 NIS ($245) in Khan Younis. This is in contrast to 20-30 NIS ($5.6 - $8.4) in Gaza city, to which there has been a constant flow of wheat flour.

Challenges

• Most parts of the North Gaza governorate have been under a tight siege for 60 days. Access remains extremely challenging, and Food Security Sector (FSS) partners’ ongoing attempts to deliver aid into these besieged areas continue to be largely prevented despite daily requests for access.
• Security incidents in late November resulted in the killing of three FSS partner staff and the destruction of one kitchen. The safety and security of humanitarian workers, contracted drivers and related service providers remains a grave concern. Humanitarian partners must be allowed to assist people in need safely and at scale, and civilians must be protected and guaranteed unobstructed access to life-saving assistance.
• Although humanitarian assistance remains the primary food source for most households in Gaza, there has been a sharp reduction in daily truck entries, with only 92 trucks entering daily on average in November, which is only 18 per cent of the pre-conflict daily average. Nearly all incoming trucks in November carried humanitarian aid, with few commercial trucks crossing into the Strip. The convergence of financial hardship, limited market availability, and escalating food insecurity underscores the severity of the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, with vulnerable populations facing mounting obstacles to meet their basic needs.
• As of early December 2024, about 100,000 MT of food commodities, equivalent to over two months of food rations for the whole population, continue to await entry outside the Strip and must be urgently brought in to ensure continuous food dispatch and distribution.
• Resuming agricultural activities, including small-scale home, community and school gardening, is critical to increase diet diversity and reduce food gaps in Gaza. The FSS continues advocating for the safe entry of agricultural supplies, including through the private sector, following recent reports of partners’ requests being denied when attempting to bring in seed kits, nylon sheets for greenhouses and fertilizers that contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Safe access of farmers, breeders, and fishermen to their lands, livestock and the sea is equally critical for resuming agricultural and livelihood activities and restoring the food supply chain. An estimated 50 million tons of debris are scattered across the Gaza Strip, with the removal of hazardous materials, including unexploded ordnance, being essential to ensure safe agricultural practices.
• In November, food consumption patterns across the Gaza Strip highlighted extremely poor dietary diversity, with bread and pulses dominating household diets for the second consecutive month. Vegetable consumption has plummeted from six days per week prior to the conflict to nearly zero currently, while meat and eggs have declined from three days per week to being almost non-existent at present.
• A recent market monitoring report for November 2024 highlighted that severe financial constraints and skyrocketing prices are the primary obstacles to market access, with over 70 per cent of the Gaza population citing a lack of money as the dominant barrier. Security concerns further compound the issue in northern Gaza, where two-thirds of households reported restricted access due to safety risks. These challenges have significantly deteriorated food accessibility across all governorates. More than 80 per cent of households reported reduced access to food in November, worsening an already critical situation in October.
• The energy crisis is further worsening as the winter begins, with a growing reliance on burning waste for cooking fuel in northern Gaza, where cooking gas has not been entering for more than 13 consecutive months. While cooking gas remains available in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, it is sold at exorbitant prices on the black market, which have increased by 663 and 917 per cent respectively compared to pre-crisis levels. On the formal market, cooking gas is in extremely short supply and is sold at the price of 60 NIS ($17) per eight kilograms, though access is unstable. Persistent challenges in accessing cooking gas and the consequent reliance on firewood and on burning waste to cook continues to hinder proper food preparation and the intake of nutritious food, exacerbates health and protection risks, and causes environmental hazards.

Response

• Between 24 November and 7 December, five direct convoys comprising 134 trucks were dispatched from Amman to Erez West crossing. Of these, 67 trucks carrying 464 metric tonnes of food, WASH, shelter, and health items were facilitated by the Logistics Cluster on behalf of seven partners. As of 7 December, the Logistics Cluster facilitated a total of 91 humanitarian inter-agency convoys through the Jordan corridor, dispatching 1,175 trucks carrying 11,682 metric tonnes of aid into Gaza on behalf of 25 partners.
• Operations to collect and transport supplies from Erez West crossing are ongoing despite security incidents that have resulted in commodity losses.
• On 29 November, the Logistics Cluster successfully completed the installation of two Mobile Storage Units (MSUs) at the platform at Kissufim crossing.
• Between December 2023 and 7 December, the Logistics Cluster consolidated 24,409 metric tonnes of humanitarian cargo at the consolidation warehouse in Amman, and a total of 52,652 metric tonnes at common storage facilities in Gaza.
• As of 7 December, 1,001 trucks for UN and International NGOs (53 per cent of which are loaded with food supplies) are awaiting in Al Arish, ready to be dispatched into Gaza.

Challenges

• Severe access and security constraints as well as looting incidents continue to hamper the ability of the Logistics Cluster to safely and consistently collect and transport humanitarian aid on behalf of partners. During the reporting period, the Logistics Cluster was unable to conduct transport operations from Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing following a number of severe looting incidents that resulted in truck damage and substantial cargo losses.

Response

• Between 24 November and 7 December, the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) reported that, on average, a total of 87,574 cubic metres of water was produced daily across the Gaza Strip. Of this quantity, an average of 51,900 cubic metres of drinking water was produced from the two operational seawater desalination plants and the three Mekorot supply lines. Municipal ground water wells produced an average of 35,659 cubic metres. Since 7 December, CMWU has been able to produce 20,000 cubic metres of water per day from the South Gaza Desalination Plant, which is its maximum nominal capacity.
• During the reporting period, WASH Cluster partners received only 16.7 per cent of the daily minimum requirement of 70,000 litres of fuel to meet critical WASH and public health needs, including water production and distribution, sewage management, repair works and solid waste management.
• Three ground water/ brackish water desalination plants are being installed or rehabilitated:
• A new plant has been commissioned in Khan Younis, with a capacity of 50 cubic metres per hour, which will support water supply both via trucking and network distribution.
• A brackish water plant with a capacity of 60 cubic metres per day has been rehabilitated in Ad Daraj water well No.7 and is now operational.
• A small scale, solar-powered desalination plant in Jabalya (Omari water well) is currently operational, with a production capacity of 50 cubic metres per day.
• Between 16 and 30 November, 30 WASH Cluster partners reported the distribution, by trucking, of a total of 6,950 cubic metres of water per day to 766 water collection points (3,788 cubic metres of drinking water and 3,162 cubic metres of domestic water). Persistent shortages of fuel supply, along with security concerns, continue to hinder water distribution in Gaza city.
• CMWU has initiated water transmission pipe repair works from the South Gaza desalination plant to Khan Younis (Satar Reservoir). Some parts of the works have already been completed, and water is flowing in Satar Reservoir. One of the challenges, however, is that internally displaced people (IDPs) are residing just over the route of the pipeline, which is affecting the pace of the repair works.
• Given the increased production capacity of the South Gaza Desalination Plant, a plan to install five to six filling points inside or near the plant is underway to upscale water trucking capacity by reducing truck queuing time, which would consequently increase water distribution capacity in western Deir al Balah and Khan Younis.
• Critical winterization efforts are yielding significant progress, with earthworks in Wadi al Salqa now completed, enhancing drainage capacity to mitigate flooding risks. Additionally, the transfer of 40,000 cubic metres of solid waste from the Al Aqsa dumping site to the Al Amal disposal site has commenced, while 200 cubic metres of solid waste has been removed from Wadi Saber.

Challenges

• Severe constraints on the internal transport of materials inside Gaza mean that the bulk of WASH items are not entering at a sufficient rate, with 50,000 MT of WASH supplies currently on standby in Jordan and Egypt and awaiting entry into the Strip.
• Constraints on fuel supplies for the operation of key WASH facilities continue, with both supply chain issues hampering the entry of fuel into Gaza and denials of access to re-supply water production points in the North Gaza and east Gaza city governorates. Reports indicate that the population in North Gaza is now relying on small, privately owned water points which are unable to provide adequate water quantities and distribute water effectively.
• The winterization response is severely constrained by the limited entry of required equipment and materials into Gaza, particularly dewatering pumps; challenges in moving supplies from southern to northern Gaza, which is hampering pipe works for dewatering the Sheikh Radwan pond; and access denials, which are hindering earthworks in Wadi Kishah. At the same time, the transfer of solid waste to safe locations remains a challenge in the south-western part of the Gaza Strip.
• In northern Gaza, some of the new IDPs are sheltering in buildings damaged in the hostilities, whose sanitation facilities have been destroyed, with the identification of technical sanitation solutions proving extremely challenging. Currently the IDPs are improvising latrines with limited privacy and improper disposal. Solutions require materials that are currently unavailable in northern Gaza.
• Reports indicate significant structural problems at the Sheikh Radwan lagoon pumping station, including cracks and detachment of concrete slabs, which are critically endangering the functionality of the pumps. Immediate structural repairs are urgently needed as the pumping station serves as the sole downstream outlet for the lagoon. The lagoon is already inundated with sewage and rainwater, posing an imminent risk of severe flooding and contamination and threatening the safety of thousands of IDPs sheltering in the surrounding area.

Response

• Shelter Cluster partners continued to track new displacement from the North Gaza governorate to Gaza city and responded with shelter NFIs, tents, winter clothes and sealing-off kits. During the reporting period, Cluster partners assisted approximately 3,800 families with shelter materials at various displacement sites in the Gaza governorate.
• In Khan Younis and Deir al Balah, over 2,400 families received Shelter NFI Kits, which included sealing-off kits and bedding kits.

Challenges

• Active hostilities, armed looting, access restrictions, damaged roads, lack of fuel, and unexploded ordnance all continue to hamper Shelter Cluster partners’ efforts to scale up shelter assistance in Gaza.
• Weather conditions are deteriorating, and displaced people do not have adequate shelter. Partners continue mobilizing resources to address emerging needs.   
• There are about 43,000 sealing-off kits and over 21,000 tarpaulins that have been procured and are waiting to be brought into Gaza. These materials would serve over 55,000 families (~ 300,000 people). At the present rate of 11 trucks with shelter materials entering Gaza per week, it would take at least another seven weeks to bring these items into the Strip. Shelter partners are currently in the process of procuring hundreds of thousands more kits and tarpaulins. 

Response

• During the reporting period, SMWG partners continued with phase one of the baseline site assessment exercise, conducting a total of 601 assessments across 177 sites in the Khan Younis and Deir al Balah governorates. This baseline assessment aims to ensure accurate data about site location, population estimates and needs. It is anticipated that this exercise will generate a smaller, more accurate site master-list, enabling the humanitarian community to more effectively provide services in these IDP sites.
• SMWG partners continue to carry out winterization preparedness activities across 75 IDP sites in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah governorates that host approximately 75,000 people, supporting site-level committees with financial, technical, and in-kind support for maintenance and repairs.
• During the reporting period, SMWG partners identified at least 212 households (803 people) that moved from northern to southern Gaza via the checkpoint on Al Rashid Road and referred them to partners for further support.
• SMWG partners conducted various capacity strengthening activities, including training sessions for site management committees from seven displacement sites.

Challenges

• New evacuation orders in areas of Khan Younis and North Gaza have caused further displacement.
• Following the heavy rains of 24 November, flooding and shelter damage was recorded across numerous sites, particularly affecting displaced people living along the coastline.
• The skyrocketing prices of common winterization items on the local market have made assistance to communities nearly impossible. The prices of shovels and plastic rope have increased by 300 and 345 per cent, respectively, while the price of a single bag of cement has risen by 1,900 per cent. Moreover, many items are simply unavailable in local markets.
• UNRWA collective shelters continue to be impacted by ongoing hostilities, resulting in deaths, injuries, destruction, and further displacement. Partners continue to call for the protection of civilian infrastructures, including IDP shelters.

Response

• Partners continue to carry out Protection Monitoring, completing 64 key informant interviews and seven focus group discussions in 42 neighbourhoods and 14 municipalities during the reporting period. Since the roll-out of the Protection Monitoring System [PMS] in August 2024, 140 trained emergency protection responders have completed 988 key informant interviews and 55 focus group discussions, during which they monitored protection cases, disseminated information on available services, and made critical referrals for urgent cases.
• UNRWA protection teams trained 34 deputy shelter managers to serve as Protection focal points at UNRWA shelters in Gaza governorate. During the reporting period, monitoring findings show that families are struggling to meet their basic needs and the top five reported humanitarian concerns driving protection risks include: safety concerns including child safety; lack of food and/or kitchen items, particularly flour to make bread; critical shortages of water and WASH facilities; lack of or destroyed shelters due to rainfall, with families primarily using old blankets to set up makeshift shelters that compromise their safety and dignity; and lack of livelihoods. About 70 per cent of participants reported being displaced at least once within the last 60 days, and 63 per cent indicated a need for immediate intersectoral services, including food, shelter and WASH services.
• Child Protection partners provided 20,000 children and 22,000 caregivers with Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS); delivered awareness raising sessions on child protection risks and explosive remnants of war (ERW) to 5,757 children and 1,811 caregivers; provided case management services for 1,627 cases, including the reunification of four cases of unaccompanied and separated children with their families; and received 8,000 winter clothing kits and procured 1,000 from the local market to distribute.
• During the reporting period, UNRWA’s protection teams conducted 29 observation missions in shelters and IDP sites across Khan Younis and Deir al Balah governorates, including Al Mawasi, carried out 18 focus group discussions and 20 key informant interviews, and continued to monitor aid distribution and follow up on vulnerable cases. The teams also delivered BBC Lifeline podcast activities to 117 children and carried out awareness raising sessions in UNRWA shelters and IDP sites on explosive ordnance (91 people reached), gender-based violence (118 people), prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (218 people), and child protection (50 people).
• During the reporting period, 101 Palestinian detainees were released at the Kerem Shalom crossing. UNRWA provided the released detainees with accommodation in UNRWA shelters, mattresses, blankets, food parcels, and hygiene and dignity kits, and is coordinating with partners to conduct referrals to additional service providers.

Challenges

• The protection environment in North Gaza remains dire, with vulnerable people often unable to evacuate due to health conditions and mobility challenges. Critical shortages of food, water and medications persist, compounded by the acute lack of essential NFIs, like tents, tarpaulins, mattresses and cleaning materials, across UNRWA shelters and IDP sites.
• In southern Gaza, NFIs and food supplies, particularly flour, are also scarce. Limited access has made distribution points unsafe, especially for women and girls, and those with disabilities, female heads of households and elderly women. Women report being forced by men within their households to search for necessities.
• Continued evacuation orders, the ongoing siege on parts of northern Gaza, as well as poor communication networks are exacerbating child protection risks, including family separation and direct conflict-related violence.
• The difficulty in bringing supplies into Gaza is a critical concern as winter approaches. Most sites presently used for MHPSS activities in collective shelters are either tents or open spaces and will not be suitable during the winter. Looting incidents have further exacerbated the already limited resources and materials available; for example, during the reporting period, 2,000 winter clothing kits were looted during transport from Kerem Shalom crossing.

Response

• Between 24 November and 7 December, the ETC Cluster, jointly with the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS), trained 106 UN personnel, including 92 in person in Deir al Balah, on the use of Very High Frequency (VHF) radios and satellite-based communication devices. To date, 14 sessions have been conducted, training 223 UN personnel from 14 UN agencies in Gaza and Jerusalem.
• A total of 73 satellite-based tracking devices have been activated and integrated into the monitoring platform, which is managed by the Gaza Security Operations Center (SOC).
• For more information on ETC activities, please visit:Palestine: Conflict | Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) (etcluster.org).

Challenges

• The safety of humanitarian aid workers in Gaza is a primary concern. The lack of safe access, recurrent evacuation orders and the cancellation of scheduled missions continue to hinder the deployment of shared ETC services and technical support to humanitarian partners.
• A significant amount of equipment has been damaged or destroyed, and the import of new equipment is lengthy and challenging. Only 20 satellite phones, 30 VHF digital radios, 83 satellite-based tracking devices, and four solar power solutions have been imported into Gaza since 7 October 2023, following coordination with the Israeli authorities. This is severely limiting the delivery of planned ETC services.
• Insufficient funding has limited the ETC Cluster’s capacity to address immediate communications needs for humanitarian responders in Gaza. The Cluster continues to appeal to potential donors for funding.

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.