oPt Humanitarian Overview: The Gaza Strip

1
oPt Humanitarian Overview The Gaza Strip
2
The Humanitarian Impact of Two years of Blockade
and the Israeli offensive on Gaza
3
Gaza Strip Profile

• Population
• 1.43 million (1 million refugees)
• Crowded
• 3,881 persons per sq km
• Young
• 54 of the population under the age of 18
• Poor
• 80 poverty rate/79 aid dependant

4
Access to Gaza
6 nautical miles (horizon) Effective since April
2009
The Gaza Strip August 2005 21 Settlements
9,000 Israeli settlers
The Gaza Strip 2009
3 nautical miles (horizon) Effective since
January 2009
5
The Israeli Blockade on Gaza Since June 2007

• Air/sea movement banned
• All exports banned
• Import of most construction, raw materials
  spare parts banned
• Imports restricted to food and hygiene limited
  cash/fuel
• Medical referrals restricted
• Buffer zones

6
The Impact of the Blockade

• 95 of private business closed
• More than 120,000 jobs lost
• Hospital functioning impeded
• Electricity reduced and intermittent
• Deterioration of water supply sanitation
  services

7
Deterioration of water and sanitation services

• 10,000 people with no access to piped water
• Repair and upgrade of treatment plants impeded
• 80 million liters of untreated and partially
  treated sewage discharged into the environment
  daily
• Increased health risks due to polluted sea water
• Sewage infiltrates into the aquifer only 5-10
  of the extracted water is safe

8
The devastation of livelihoods

• 5,000 farmers and 10,000 agricultural laborers
  affected by export ban
• Local market saturated with previously exported
  items
• Buffer Zone expanded to 300 metres from the
  fence
• Fishing zone reduce to 3 nautical miles

9
The Gaza War 27 Dec 2008-18 Jan 2009

• 1.4 million civilians unprotected
• Massive military aerial and ground bombardment
• Densely populated small area
• No safe space no bomb shelters
• No alarm/warning system
• No place to flee all borders sealed

10
People affected during Cast Lead Offensive

• 1,383 Palestinians fatalities, including 350
  children, identified by OCHA.
• 5,303 Palestinian injuries (MoH)
• Civilian fatalities disputed 73-83 (Palestinian
  HR orgs) 25-39 (IDF)

11
Gaza War Damages

• Public infrastructure

• Agricultural land

• Commerce/Industry

• Residential buildings

• UN property

• Tunnels

• All together

12
Inability to reconstruct homes

• Ban on construction materials prevents
  reconstruction and repairs of homes
• Cast Lead housing impact
• 3,500 destroyed
• 2,900 severely damaged
• 53,000 with minor damages
• 20,000 displaced people forced to live in
  alternative accommodation
• Pre- Cast Lead housing needs 7,500 units

13
The continued Blockade A protracted human
dignity crisis

• Further Erosion of livelihoods
• Further decline in the quality of all services
• Continued denial of right to leave Gaza, move to
  WB
• Limited capacity to address needs resulting of
  Cast Lead
• Increasing aid dependence

14
The way forward

• Ending the Blockade GoI must
• Lift restrictions on all Gaza crossings
• Allow free access to agricultural and fishing
  areas
• Allow access for goods and people between Gaza
  and the West Bank
• Protection, food, water, healthcare, and shelter
  are basic human needs, not bargaining chips.
  (John Holmes)