Highlights
A total of 22 Palestinian children were killed in the first quarter of 2016, and 25 in the last quarter of 2015 (30 children were killed in 2015). A total of 26 people, including nine children, were displaced due to the demolition of Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem by the Israeli authorities.
In May, 1,880 children benefitted from child protection services including life skills support, case management and child-parent interaction programs. 2,951 caregivers attended awareness raising sessions on the protection of children and positive discipline.
In Gaza and the West Bank, 14,341 pregnant and lactating women received micronutrient supplementation, while 2,598 children aged under five years (50% girls) benefitted from the distribution of iron drops.
6,760 students (57% boys, 43% girls) from 113 schools (grade five and six) coming from the most vulnerable communities in Gaza completed remedial class programmes to better prepare for June national final exams.
In Gaza, UNICEF completed approximately 85% of the works for the rehabilitation and upgrading of water lines and networks. In the West Bank, UNICEF completed 95% of the works for the rehabilitation and extension of the existing water networks (Northern Jordan Valley), and 60% of the works in communities from Tubas, Jericho, and Bethlehem.
UNICEF has nearly completed the construction of a EUR 10 million seawater desalination plant in Gaza, to cover over 75,000 Palestinians with safe drinking water.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
On 22 May, the Israeli authorities announced the lifting of the ban on the import of cement to the Gaza Strip for the private sector. By the end of April 2016, 4,064 homes (about 23 per cent) have been reconstructed or repaired with UN and other international support. Approximately 18,000 homes were destroyed or severely damaged in 2014. The Egyptiancontrolled Rafah Crossing continued to be closed during the reporting period, except on 11 and 12 May. At least 30,000 people, including around 9,500 medical cases, and 2,700 students, are registered and waiting to cross, according to the Palestinian authorities.
In East Jerusalem (EJ), the Israeli authorities demolished three Palestinians homes and one praying room, for the stated reason that they did not have Israeli building permits, displacing 26 Palestinians, including nine children. Since the beginning of 2016, a total of 72 structures were demolished in EJ, including three on “punitive grounds”. In the West Bank, the number of Palestinian structures that have been demolished or confiscated by Israeli Security Forces in 2016 has increased in trend compared to 2015. To date, at least 900 Palestinians have been displaced. The demolition and removal of water wells, solar panels and animal shelters has impacted the livelihoods of over 2,500 Palestinians.
Humanitarian leadership and coordination
UNICEF, as part of the UN Country Team, coordinates with the Palestinian Government to support its role in humanitarian response, early recovery and reconstruction. UNICEF leads the WASH cluster in close collaboration with the Palestinian Water Authority and co-leads the Education Cluster with Save the Children in Gaza. At the national level, Education Cluster has transitioned to sector working group, Co-Chaired by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) and UNICEF, responsible for coordinating emergency response. UNICEF also leads the Child Protection Working Group and affiliated groups on Mental Health and Psychosocial Services (MHPSS), and on Monitoring and Reporting of Grave Violations against children (Children and Armed Conflict reporting mechanism). UNICEF co-leads the Nutrition Working Group under the Health Cluster, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and WFP, in Gaza and at the national level. UNICEF is leading Cluster transitioning in WASH and Education in the West Bank, through capacity building towards increased Government ownership and more effective coordination.
Humanitarian Strategy
UNICEF promotes 'resilience-focused development', providing children and families with what they need to be better prepared for and better manage crises, and recover from them more rapidly. It requires addressing the underlying drivers of inequity and fragility that cause grave violations, social deprivation and stresses. It also means bridging the arbitrary divide between development and humanitarian assistance, integrating risk factors into programming, and strengthening systems that can anticipate as well as absorb shocks in the event of conflict, violence or disasters.
In Palestine, UNICEF ensures complementarity with national efforts in the most vulnerable communities, especially in Gaza, Area C of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. UNICEF provides technical expertise and support in strengthening child protection systems and services, including case management and referrals. Monitoring and reporting on grave violations against children informs evidence-based advocacy for improved protection of children, as well as programming. Children crossing checkpoints in the West Bank are protected to ensure safer access to schools. Children affected by conflict benefit from education supplies and remedial learning. Adolescents engage in learning and recreational programmes, to become agents of positive change in communities. UNICEF also supports the rehabilitation of water and sewage systems in affected communities in Gaza and the West Bank. In addition, UNICEF supports the provision of essential and life-saving paediatric medicines and medical consumables; micronutrient supplementation and infant and young child feeding for children and women in Gaza.