Joint Press Release: $571 million funding appeal to address humanitarian needs in Palestine during 2016

Ramallah, 10 February 2016 – Today, the Minister of Finance and Planning of the State of Palestine, H.E. Mr. Shukry Bishara, and the UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Aid and Development Activities in the occupied Palestinian territory Mr. Robert Piper launched the Humanitarian Response Plan for 2016, to support the humanitarian needs of 1.6 million Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).

“Most recently, we witnessed continuous violations towards Palestinian civilians, and the situation has continued to deteriorate since October 2015. So far, the number of Palestinians killed during this period has reached approximately 200 people, many of whom are children, as well as around 16,000 injured,” said Minister Bishara.

“Forty-eight years of occupation of the Palestinian territory by the State of Israel has left many Palestinians highly vulnerable,” said Robert Piper. “After such a prolonged period of stress, and many cycles of shocks - particularly for the residents of Gaza - the coping capacity of many Palestinian households is at the point of exhaustion.”

According to humanitarian assessments, some 1.8 million people need protection in the oPt. Overall, 1.6 million people are moderately to severely food insecure; approximately 92,000 people remain displaced from the 2014 hostilities in Gaza; 8,000 people in the West Bank are at high risk of forcible transfer; recipients of the 11,000 outstanding demolitions orders in Area C need legal assistance to prevent their displacement; and hundreds of thousands of people still have restricted access to essential services.

The 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan requests US$571 million to implement 206 projects by 79 organizations, including 67 national and international NGOs and 12 UN agencies. Almost US$323 million of the funding sought is to enhance food security and some US$112 million is for shelter for vulnerable Palestinians. At least 65% per cent of the requested funds target needs in Gaza. This year’s requirements, however, are 19% lower compared to 2015, primarily due to a significant reduction in the shelter request for Gaza. The considerable shelter reconstruction needs in Gaza are being addressed through reconstruction and recovery channels.

 “Addressing the root causes of the crisis through a political solution is vital to moving forward,” Mr. Piper said.  “Meanwhile, protecting the rights of Palestinians living under occupation remains the humanitarian community’s main obligation and priority,” he concluded.