Gaza Acute Crisis Joint Response

The Joint Response

The joint response partners will carry out the following activities in response to the needs and gaps observed:

Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH)

• Women, men, boys and girls in Gaza have access to dignified domestic water and sanitation services and essential hygiene items through:
  • Repair and maintenance of damaged WASH infrastructures to mitigate public health threats;
  • Distribution of hygiene, dignity and baby kits to affected families in line with the sectorial Cluster guidelines.

Protection

• Provision of child protection and case management services for vulnerable persons and children facing high-level protection threats;
• Distribution of kits and immediate supplies for affected households (this might include distribution of Psychosocial Support kits, food kits, hygiene kits, clothes, etc.);
• Provision of psychological individual and group sessions for traumatised children and adults including referrals to specialized Mental Health and Psychosocial Support service providers when needed
• Setup of child friendly spaces where children can participate in recreational, educational and psychosocial support activities.
• Awareness raising on protection and gender based violence through community engagement, during emergency risk induction sessions and through distributing Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse awareness leaflets.

Multi-purpose cash

• Provision of Multi-purpose Cash Assistance for vulnerable households in line with the Cash Working Group standards and recommended amounts.

Health (including Mental Health and Psychosocial Support)

• Provide holistic and multi-layered Mental Health and Psychosocial Support services to vulnerable children and caregivers, including Psychological First Aid sessions, specialised Mental Health services, individual and group counselling, and group-based Psychosocial Support interventions
• Providing safe deliveries for pregnant women including specialised care for urgent cases
• Providing primary health care to the wounded, pregnant and lactating women, elderly, chronically ill and infants including mobile clinics, follow up visits and referrals when needed
• Providing first aid kits and first aid training to community members and focal points selected from communal shelters, to empower them to deliver first aid response

Shelter & Non Food Items

• Distribution of proper clothing and winterisation kits to enable people to endure the winter cold.
• Distribution of essential items for newborns and for pregnant and lactating women such as breast pads, nipple cream/moisturizers, babies diapers, blankets, bottles etc.
• Specific items for PWDs, adapted to the type of disability.

The Gaza Acute Crisis Joint Response is planning to reach 136,049 people during this response.

[1] This a summary of main activities and does not include all detailed activities

Status of the response

The DRA Gaza Joint Response consortium are facing major barriers to deliver the services: a number of partners have had multiple staff and their families killed and offices destroyed. The majority of staff across partners are displaced, with many sleeping in the streets. Despite these challenges, partners are showing incredible determination to implement the response. All partners started small scale support, including distribution of winter clothing, hygiene kits, cash-based assistance and food parcels. Psychosocial support and shelter for displaced children and their families is provided.

The current total blockade of Gaza and intense fighting and bombings have made humanitarian access impossible. The violence that has flooded Gaza over the last months has created unprecedented humanitarian needs. The needs in Gaza are staggering and keep growing with at least 33.634 Palestinians killed in the Gaza strip between 07/10 and April 2024. About 70% of those killed are reported to be women and children. Another 76,214 Palestinians have been reportedly injured. Hundreds of thousands of children and families in Gaza have been displaced and entire neighbourhoods have been destroyed. Due to lack of medical supplies, fuel, water and electricity, hospitals cannot function fully anymore.

The temporary humanitarian pause in December 2023 did not allow sufficient aid to enter Gaza. The DRA Gaza JR consortium therefore calls upon the international community to urge all parties to agree to an immediate and permanent humanitarian cease fire that enables humanitarian assistance to be delivered in Gaza. This requires all parties to immediately pause the fighting and facilitate the provision of essential and life-saving relief assistance, including food, fuel, water, and medical supplies and care, as well as access and safety of humanitarian personnel into Gaza.

The DRA Gaza JR consortium strongly emphasises the responsibility of all parties to unequivocally uphold international law and prioritise the protection of all civilians to avert further suffering and loss of human life.

Photo: October 2023, little boy amid the rubble © United Nations Photo