Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #114

Key points

• Intense Israeli bombardment and fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups continue to be reported across much of the Gaza Strip, resulting in further civilian casualties, displacement, and destruction of civilian infrastructure. In remarks to the UN General Assembly on 7 February, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the expansion of hostilities to Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought refuge, “would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences.” 
• Between the afternoons of 7 and 8 February, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, 130 Palestinians were killed, and 170 Palestinians were injured. Between 7 October 2023 and 12:00 on 8 February 2024, at least 27,840 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and 67,317 Palestinians were injured, according to the MoH.  
• Between the evenings of 7 and 8 February, no Israeli soldiers were reported killed in Gaza. As of 8 February, 225 soldiers were killed and 1,314 soldiers were injured in Gaza since the beginning of the ground operation, according to the Israeli military. 
• The risk of famine in Gaza is increasing by the day, particularly for hundreds of thousands of people in northern Gaza who have been predominantly cut off from assistance and where food security assessments show the greatest needs, with many reportedly grinding animal feed to make flour. Since the onset of the crisis, the World Food Programme (WFP) delivered a total of 1,940 trucks (19 per cent of all aid trucks) carrying over 32,413 metric tons of life-saving food supplies. The last time UNRWA was able to carry out a food distribution in the north of Wadi Gaza was 23 January. Between 1 January and 8 February, seven out of 28 planned humanitarian aid missions to deliver food to the north of Wadi Gaza were facilitated by the Israeli authorities, one was partially facilitated, eight were impeded, seven were denied, and five were postponed due to internal operational constraints.  
• Health care in Gaza remains extremely precarious amid continued bombardment and hostilities, a lack of supplies and medical personnel, access restrictions, and fast deteriorating health conditions. On 8 February, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported the killing of one  paramedic and the injury of two people during a coordinated humanitarian mission to evacuate several wounded people and humanitarian cases from Gaza city. Since 7 October, 12 PRCS staff and volunteers were killed while carrying out their humanitarian work, according to PRCS. Yet, in January, the access of missions to support critical hospitals and facilities providing water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) services to areas north of Wadi Gaza were among those overwhelmingly denied by the Israeli authorities. As of 7 February, there are no fully functional hospitals in Gaza while 36 per cent of hospitals are only partially functional, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Moreover, according to UNRWA only four out of 22 UNRWA health facilities are operational due to continued bombardment and access restrictions. 
• Intense fighting in Khan Younis, particularly near Nasser and Al Amal hospitals, continues to jeopardize the safety of medical staff, the wounded and the sick as well as internally displaced persons (IDPs), driving thousands of people into Rafah. On 8 February, PRCS reported continued shelling and heavy gunfire in the vicinity of Al-Amal Hospital, which has reportedly been under siege for 17 days. On 8 February, MoH in Gaza reported that 300 medical staff, 450 wounded and 10,000 displaced people at Nasser hospital are exposed to a health and humanitarian catastrophe amid a severe shortage of fuel, anesthesia, as well as intensive care and surgical supplies. According to MoH, the Israeli military has prevented the movement of ambulances, the disposal of medical and non-medical waste, and the arrival of the wounded and sick to Nasser hospital.  Moreover, allegations of sniper shooting in the vicinity of Nasser hospital continue. On 8 February, a nurse was reportedly shot and critically injured while inside the operations room in Nasser hospital and two Palestinians were reportedly shot and killed in the vicinity of the hospital. On 7 February, a Palestinian woman was reportedly shot and killed while purportedly fetching water from Nasser hospital.    
• IDPs across Gaza continue to face fast-deteriorating humanitarian conditions amid acute shortages of shelter, fuel, clean water, food and medicine. As of 5 February, UNRWA estimates that some 75 per cent of Gaza’s population (1.7 million out of 2.3 million people) are displaced, the majority situated in Rafah governorate. On 8 February, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warned hat further deterioration in humanitarian conditions in Rafah “would be catastrophic as disease and starvation already persist among the displaced population,” and “could collapse the humanitarian response.” Findings from an NRC assessment of nine shelters hosting 27,400 civilians in Rafah show that “people had no drinking water, showers, or personal hygiene items,” and every assessed location had reported cases of “hepatitis A, gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, smallpox, lice, [and] influenza.” On 7 February, Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim for the Occupied Palestinian territory, Jamie McGoldrick, emphasized that fuel, generators and spare parts are urgently needed to enhance people’s access to clean water, noting that the southern Gaza desalination plant is only working at 14 or 15 per cent of its capacity.  

Hostilities and casualties (Gaza Strip)

• The following are among the deadliest incidents reported on 7 and 8 February: 
  • On 7 February, at about 13:00, at least 13 Palestinians were reportedly killed and others injured when a water distribution truck in Al Thalathini Street in Gaza city was hit while people were reportedly gathering to fill their water barrels.  
  • On 7 February, multiple casualties were reported when a group of people were struck while purportedly awaiting humanitarian aid trucks at Al Kuwaiti roundabout west of Gaza city. This is reportedly at least the sixth incident involving casualties among people waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza city. 
  • On 7 February, at about midnight, a journalist and his son were reportedly killed, and tens of others injured, when a house was hit in Deir al Balah. 
  • On 8 February, at about midnight, 14 Palestinians, including five children,  were reportedly killed, and dozens injured when two houses in Tal As Sultan area and As Saudi neighbourhood, both west of Rafah, were struck. 

Hostilities and casualties (Israel) 

• Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel, including 36 children, according to the Israeli authorities, the vast majority on 7 October and in the immediate aftermath.  
• As of 7 February 2024, the Israeli authorities estimate that about 136 Israelis and foreign nationals remained captive in Gaza; these reportedly include fatalities whose bodies are being withheld. During the humanitarian pause (24-30 November), 86 Israeli and 24 foreign national hostages were released. 

West Bank Updates 

• On 8 February, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man at an Israeli checkpoint near Deir Sharaf village in Nablus, reportedly in an exchange of fire. Another Palestinian man was injured in the incident while in his car and the checkpoint was closed in both directions for two hours. Also on 8 February, a Palestinian man died of wounds sustained during an Israeli search-and-arrest-operation in Kafr ‘Ein village in Ramallah on 22 January 2024. Between 1 January and 8 February 2024, 70 Palestinians, including 15 children, were killed, the majority by Israeli forces.  
• On 8 February, the Palestinian Prisoners Club announced the death of a Palestinian prisoner, aged 21 years, from Ad Dhahiriya village (Hebron), who had been under administrative detention since May 2022 in the Israeli prison of Ofer near Ramallah. The circumstances of his death remain unclear. Since 7 October 2023, seven Palestinian prisoners died while under Israel custody in unclear circumstances.  
• Since 7 October 2023 and as of 8 February 2024, 383 Palestinians have been killed, including 96 children, and 4,433 Palestinians, including 671 children, injured in conflict-related incidents across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. During the same period, 10 Israelis, including four members of security forces, were killed and 73 injured in conflict-related incidents in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.  
• On 7 February, Israeli settlers threw stones at cars driven by Palestinians travelling near Bizzariya village in Nablus, on the main road connecting the three governorates of Nablus, Tulkarm and Jenin, reportedly to protest the opening of the road. The road, which had been closed since October 2023, was reopened on 7 February, but was closed again following the stone-throwing incident. On 8 February, Israeli settlers raided Huwwara village in Nablus, threw incendiary materials at a Palestinian-owned house, and vandalized a parking vehicle; residents of the village were subsequently able to force the settlers out of the village and extinguish the fire.   
• Since 7 October 2023 and as of 8 February 2024, OCHA has recorded 514 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians, resulting in Palestinian casualties (49 incidents), damage to Palestinian-owned property (407 incidents), or both casualties and damage to property (58 incidents). October, followed by November, represented the peak of such incidents, after which the frequency of settler violence incidents returned to their pre-October levels. Overall, in 2023, OCHA documented 1,264 settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the highest such number in any given year since OCHA started recording incidents involving settlers in 2006. 
• Since 7 October 2023 and as of 8 February 2024, 508 Palestinians, including 248 children, have been displaced following the demolition of their homes in Area C and East Jerusalem, due to lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible to obtain.  
• On 8 February, the Israeli authorities punitively demolished an apartment in a four-storey building in Hebron city, displacing seven people, including two children. The residence belonged to the family of one of three Palestinians who were shot and killed while carrying out a shooting attack against Israeli forces at Beit Jala checkpoint near Bethlehem on 16 November.  Since 7 October 2023 and as of 8 February 2024, Israeli forces have punitively demolished 23 Palestinian-owned homes, displacing 112 Palestinians, including 47 children.  
• Since 7 October 2023 and as of 8 February 2024, 775 Palestinians, including 322 children, have been displaced, following the destruction of 123 homes during operations carried out by Israeli forces across the West Bank. About 95 per cent of the displacement was reported in the refugee camps of Jenin, Nur Shams and Tulkarm.  

Funding

• As of 8 February, Member States have disbursed $886.8 million against the updated Flash Appeal launched by the UN and its partners to implement its response plan in support of 2.2 million people in the Gaza Strip and 500,000 people in the West Bank. This constitutes 72 per cent of the $1.2 billion requested.  
• Private donations are collected through the Humanitarian Fund. A private foundation in Australia has donated $2.2 million. Since 7 October, the Humanitarian Fund has disbursed about $55 million.  

HUMANITARIAN NEEDS AND RESPONSES: 29 January – 5 February

Health

Needs:

• Primary health services are critically needed in informal shelters across the Gaza Strip.  
• There is a need to increase routine immunization coverage as well as the provision of medication for non-communicable diseases, psychotropics, and anaesthesia to address the health needs of the population and prevent the spread of infectious disease.  
• Expanding sexual and reproductive health services at the community level is necessary to alleviate overcrowding in maternity hospitals and ensure that women have access to the care they need. 
• The establishment of field hospitals in additional areas of the Gaza Strip is crucial to accommodate the medical needs of the local population. 
• People are unable to effectively access healthcare due to the lack of laboratory equipment and reagents needed for accurate diagnosis and testing. 
• Patients in need of timely and necessary transfusions, cannot receive them due to the unavailability of blood products in hospitals. 

Response:

• Since the onset of hostilities, 45 partners have provided health services to an estimated 1 million people in need. There have also been more than 240,000 primary healthcare consultations.  
• The Al-Emirati Maternity Hospital in Rafah received 900 ampoules of oxytocin, five Inter-Agency Emergency Reproductive Health (IARH) kits, and 500 Maternal and Neonatal Health (MNH) kits from UNFPA. This donation will enhance the hospital's capacity, which currently conducts about 250 deliveries a day, of which 15 per cent are caesarean sections. 
• Some 12 Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) are currently operational. Between 29 January and 5 February, EMTs have treated some 12,000 patients requiring emergency surgeries and treatment for non-communicable diseases and severe acute malnutrition. 

Challenges and Gaps:

• The influx of IDPs to Rafah has overwhelmed the available bed capacities in hospitals, leading to insufficient capacity to meet the healthcare needs of the population. 
• Response operations by health partners are negatively affected by the displacement of the medical staff, social stresses and telecommunication challenges. 
• The high insecurity and limited access to health facilities in the northern and middle governorates continues to present major challenges to partners’ response activities. Furthermore, ongoing fighting and persistent siege of hospitals have severely affected their functionality and accessibility.  
• Limited and proper access to WASH facilities is hindering disease prevention services.  

Nutrition

Needs:

• Provision of nutrition interventions, including lifesaving supplies in Gaza, is critically needed across the Strip.  
• Malnutrition among children, particularly children under-five, and pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) remains a significant concern, amid lack of functioning health and WASH systems and deterioration of the food security situation. 

Response:

• The nutrition sub-cluster carried out a training on Global mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) screening for detecting acute malnutrition in children aged 6-59 months. The training covers data management, identification of malnutrition, simplified management of severe and moderate malnutrition, and reporting.  
• The preliminary findings from screenings for malnutrition using MUAC carried out by the implementing partners of the Nutrition Cluster indicate concerning rates of acute malnutrition. About 3,500 children aged 6 to 59 months, were screened at three IDP sites and three health facilities; global acute malnutrition (GAM) was found at a rate of 9.6 per cent. Furthermore, data from northern Gaza indicate a 16.2 percent GAM rate. These are the first ever MUAC data collected by partners since the start of the conflict.  Nutrition cluster partners will continue to collect more data.  The data at present suggests the need for the cluster partners to expand the reach of preventive and curative services to all children in need. 
• In the reporting period, nutrition partners distributed Medium Quantity Lipid Based Supplement (LNS-MQ) to 3,965 pregnant and lactating women (PLWs) and 41,914 children aged 6 to 59 months. However, partners indicate that due to communication challenges in Gaza, some distribution data is yet to be reported. 

Challenges and Gaps:

• Ongoing hostilities in Gaza have led to severe food shortages, inadequate WASH facilities, and a breakdown in health services, placing children under-five and PLW at an increasing risk of malnutrition.  
• The nutrition cluster is only 25 per cent funded. Without immediate funding and an expanded response, children under five years will be at risk of malnutrition. Urgent action is crucial to prevent this life-threatening situation. 

Food Security

Needs:

• The food security situation in the Middle Area and southern governorate presents an exceptionally challenging scenario. In Khan Younis, most of the population are grappling with extreme hunger. 
• The influx of IDPs into Rafah governorate has placed considerable strain on available resources.  Providing adequate food assistance to the population challenging, given overcrowding   
• Vulnerable segments of the population, including children, the elderly, and individuals with underlying health conditions, are particularly susceptible to the risk of malnutrition.  
• There is an immediate need to establish uninterrupted and secure humanitarian corridors that facilitate the delivery of essential aid throughout Gaza, including through the private sector.  

Response:

• Between 29 January and 4 February, 20 partners provided food assistance within the Gaza Strip reaching some 1.88 million people. The geographic breakdown is as follows: 
  • Rafah Governorate received approximately 33 per cent of the total food assistance. FSS partners reached 1,122,960 IDPs with hot meals, 77,115 IDPs with food parcels, 64,794 IDPs with Ready-To-Eat (RTE) food, including in public shelters, UNRWA shelters, host families and makeshift camps. Bread was distributed to 178,590 IDPs in makeshift camps. Some 1,200 people in host families in the Rafah North area were provided with voucher/cash-based transfers. 
  • Deir al Balah received approximately 27 per cent of the total food assistance. This includes a total of 42,633 food parcels distributed to people sheltering with host families as well as in public shelters, makeshift camps and UNRWA shelters. Ready-To-Eat (RTE) food was provided to 22,029 people and hot meals were also distributed to 42,000 displaced people. Vouchers/cash-based transfers were received by 1,845 people displaced. 
  • Khan Younis received around 17 per cent of the food assistance.  Food parcels were distributed to 20,550 people in public shelters, makeshift camps and UNRWA shelters. Some 51,550 people received RTE food in public shelters and makeshift camps. Some 1,845 people sheltering in host families and in public shelters received voucher/cash-based transfer assistance. 
  • Northern Gaza and Gaza governorates received some 13 and 10 per cent reached Northern Gaza and Gaza governorates. This includes 6,150 food parcels distributed in host families, while 243,796 people displaced received hot meals, including in public shelters, in makeshift camps and in UNRWA shelters. 

Challenges and Gaps:

• In the northern Gaza and Gaza governorates, the humanitarian situation has reached a critical state, including due to restrictions that impede the delivery of essential aid. These restrictions have paralysed efforts to address the significant and growing needs of the population. Improved access and support are urgently needed. 
• Frequent border closures, imposed restrictions, and security concerns prevent humanitarian partners from establishing a secure and efficient operation. 
• The deteriorating situation and escalation of hostilities have caused significant damage to critical infrastructure, including roads, electricity, and water supply systems, impeding the distribution of food aid. 
• The lack of fuel and cooking gas poses significant challenges to  sustaining humanitarian efforts, including to through ensuring the operating of essential services such as mills and bakeries and for people to prepare the limited   food available to them. 

Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI)

Needs:

• Over 650,000 people are estimated to have no home to return to.  Many more will be unable to return home due to infrastructure damage, and risks posed by explosive remnants of war. 
• There is a significant shortage of all essential non-food items (NFIs) for IDPs inside and outside shelters. The Cluster estimates that about 100,000 families need shelter support, including winterized tents or sealing off kits. Just under 1 million people are estimated to need NFIs. 
• Partners estimate that the amount of debris from the destruction of residential housing units will exceed 12,000,000 metric tons and will take over four years to remove, given Gaza's current capabilities. 
• Displaced people residing in both formal and informal emergency shelters lack basic NFIs.  An estimated hundreds of thousands of people lack adequate shelter. 
• Tents, timber sections, and tarpaulin sheets are needed so displaced people have protection from harsh weather conditions and to ease overcrowded and unhygienic conditions. 
• The lack of proper informal settlement planning has led to the creation of makeshift shelters and tents flooding on rainy days, further exacerbating the suffering of displaced people. 

Response:

• During the reporting period, cluster partners distributed around 3,000 bedding items and 5,000 dignity kits in Khan Younis and the Middle Area. They also distributed 1,500 bedding items in the North, to people who are not residing in UNRWA shelters or with host families. Since 7 October, Shelter Cluster partners have distributed about 40,000 tents, primarily in the areas of Rafah, Khan Younis and the Middle area. Cluster partners report an additional 28,000 tents are in the pipeline. 

Challenges and Gaps:

• Since many IDPs have been displaced more than once, they are unable to carry their belongings, including NFIs and other shelter materials.  Assistance often needs to be distributed repeatedly to the same families.  Displaced people also lack tools to set up their tents and protection from rain and floods (hand tools are currently not permitted to enter Gaza). 
• Due to security concerns and limited access, partners restricted the delivery of the assistance mainly to Rafah, Khan Younis and the Middle areas. 
• Cluster partners indicate that pricing for shelter items has risen in regional markets, including high freight rates and shipping costs.  Partners face persistent challenges in maintaining a consistent supply chain. 
• Urgent funding is needed to address the key gaps in the supply of shelter and NFIs. As of 2 February, only 26 per cent of the Shelter Cluster funding requirement (209.2M) has been funded. 

WASH

Needs:

• Access to safe drinking water for the entire population of Gaza is needed, especially among the displaced population and the northern areas of Gaza. 
• The accumulation of solid waste on the streets, around hospitals, IDP shelters, and various sites remains a priority concern. Tens of thousands of tons of uncollected public waste are intensifying public health risks. The Municipality of Gaza city estimates that approximately 50,000 tons of solid waste remain unmanaged, exacerbating environmental and health concerns.   
• Power supply (fuel) to water and wastewater facilities, primarily decentralized systems (e.g., generators and other electro-mechanical items) is critical. 
• Some 2.25 million people need WASH Assistance. Two-thirds of IDPs are concentrated in Rafah area and urgently need WASH support.  

Response:

• Mekorot Connection: Bani Saeed water supply is currently producing 6,000 cubic metres per day (250 cubic metres per hour capacity) which is 42 per cent of its full capacity. Plans are in place for repairing the pipeline. The key challenges to repairs include their safe access, communication, and coordination.  
• Two out of out of three desalination plans are partially operating: the Middle Area plant produces an average of 1,500 cubic metres per day (distributed via water trucking) and the South Gaza desalination plant produces 1,700 cubic metres per day (around 600 m3 are distributed via water trucking and 1,100 via the water network).  
• The UAE's small desalination plant located in Egyptian Rafah, operates at full capacity, providing 2,400 cubic metres per day. This has been achieved following the construction of a 3-kilometre transmission line extending the intake point to the Saudi Water reservoir and other filling points for tankers and tap-stands.

Challenges and Gaps:

• Flooding has been a significant issue; the area around Pumping Station 7B is flooded posing a potential crisis with overflow of sewage in the vicinity of the station. This is further compounded by fuel shortage, which impedes the operation of sewage stations. Reports of people coming into direct contact with sewage-contaminated floodwaters in the streets are deeply troubling.   Technical assessments are needed to estimate damage and potential impacts.  
• The public health risk is further intensified due to an acute scarcity of hygiene materials and adequate sanitation infrastructure. Persistent anecdotal reports of Hepatitis A cases in Gaza, as recorded by UNRWA and the Health Cluster, highlight ongoing concerns.  
• The absence of testing laboratories in Gaza for specimen analysis is challenging. Exploring the possibility of referring samples to Egypt is under consideration 
• The constraints of the clearance and transport of the dual-use items into Gaza remain a limiting factor of the overall WASH response. 

Education

Needs:

• More than 625,000 students and nearly 23,000 teachers in the Gaza Strip have been affected by school closures and attacks on education, with no access to education or a safe place.  

  According to the Ministry of Education, as of 30 January, more than 4,660 students and 239 educational staff have been killed and more than 8,109 students and 756 teachers have been injured in the Gaza Strip since 7 October. 

  Some 92 per cent of all school buildings in Gaza are being used as shelters for IDPs and/or have sustained varying levels of damage. Some 390 schools (78.8 per cent of the total school buildings in Gaza) sustained damage, including 140 schools that sustained major damage or were fully destroyed. Combined, these schools previously served some 433,000 children and more than 16,200 teachers. The North, Gaza, and Khan Younis governorates have been especially impacted, accounting for 76 per cent of all damaged schools (source: Education Cluster Damaged School Dashboard.)

• Education partners are concerned about reports, videos and pictures depicting showing that schools are being used for military operations by Israeli forces, including their use as detention and interrogation centres, or as military bases.  
• Key priorities include the provision of Education in Emergencies (EiE) recreational activities and psychological support, including Social Emotional Learning (SEL) activities to children in shelters and designated emergency shelters (DESs); establishing Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS) in shelters/DESs to start non-formal learning for children; provision of emergency supplies and learning kits. In addition, a key need is the identification and support of children with disabilities and other needs, with assistive devices for continuity of learning. 

Response:

• Since October 2023, eleven partners have reached more than 131,000 students and teachers (source: Education Cluster 5W dashboard) with psychosocial support, emergency learning, recreational supplies and activities, and awareness sessions in the Deir al Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah governorates. Most of the cluster responses are delivered by local partners.
• UNICEF with three of its partners and Teacher Creativity Centre are working on establishing TLS to start non-formal education activities with displaced children in shelters/DESs.
• The Education and the Shelter clusters are jointly carrying out advocacy activities to highlight the devastating impacts of the current situation in Gaza on children and the inextricable links between shelter and schooling.

Challenges and Gaps:

• No activities have been undertaken in the North Gaza and Gaza governorates due to ongoing hostilities and access challenges.
• As of 28 January, the education response remains significantly underfunded, receiving less than 10 per cent of its requirements. Urgent funding is required to meet immediate response requirements.

Emergency Telecommunications

Needs:

• Recurrent telecommunications shutdown in the Gaza Strip restricts people from accessing life-saving information and impedes other forms of humanitarian response. Since 11 October 2023, the Gaza Strip has been under an electricity blackout, after the Israeli authorities cut off the electricity supply, and fuel reserves for Gaza’s sole power plant were depleted. For more information on electricity supply to the Gaza Strip, please see this dashboard.

Response:

• The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) continues its presence in Gaza since 09 January supporting humanitarian responders with ICT assessments, technical advice and information, repairs, and guidance on the use of ICT equipment. 
• Since 3 November, the ETC continues to engage with the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) for authorization to import all essential telecommunications equipment into Gaza and provide independent access to communications for humanitarian responders.  
• On 30 January, the ETC assessed the network signal coverage of the Very High Frequency (VHF) digital radio security communications system (SCS) which operates using the VHF Rafah repeater installed at Al Shaboura Clinic. Although the signal coverage is good in Rafah city, the SCS remains non-operational due to the incompatibility between the VHF/HF handheld radio antennae and the digital repeater system. The ETC is collaborating with UNDSS to procure compatible radio antennae and a solar power solution for the SCS.  

Challenges and Gaps:

• Limited access to electricity, fuel, and telecommunications services continues to hamper the humanitarian response in Gaza.  
• Importation of telecommunications equipment into Gaza is lengthy and extremely challenging.  

Logistics

Response:

• The Logistics Cluster has launched common transport services for the route: Amman to Rafah via King Hussein Bridge and convoy coordination services for the route Amman to Rafah via Aqaba-Nuweiba. Details on the support and services provided by the Logistics Cluster are available in the Standard Operating Procedures.
• A consolidation warehouse in Amman is now operational for the pre-positioning of cargo. The facility is bonded and temperature-controlled with 1,300 pallet positions, and a capacity to further increase the storage space.
• The Logistics Cluster held a warehouse management training for humanitarian organisations` personnel on the ground in Gaza, including UN agencies and international NGOs.
• Partners continue facilitating access to temporary storage, transport, and cargo notification transshipment services. As of 4 February 2024, the Cluster has stored 5,142 metre cubic of cargo on behalf of 16 organizations in Gaza. In Gaza, 1,470 square metres of temporary storage is available in Rafah, and 800 pallet positions in a non-bombed warehouse in Port Said, Egypt.
• In the Gaza Strip, the Logistics Cluster has installed and handed over 18 Mobile Storage Units (MSUs), of which 12 are operational (3,840 metre square). In Al Arish, Egypt, so far, the Logistics Cell augmented the ERC storage capacity by 3,840 square metres with the installation of 12 MSUs.

Challenges and Gaps:

• Persisting challenges include storage and transportation across the Gaza Strip, including temperature-controlled storage. The Logistics Cluster is procuring additional Mobile Storage Units (MSUs), which will be available to humanitarian partners to augment their storage capacities and in the event of a scaled-up assistance.
• Partners are collecting the pipeline for incoming cargo through the Egypt and Jordan corridors for the coming three months; this is a key exercise for operational planning, to understand available resources, and allocate them based on prioritization.

Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA)

Response:

• Some 121,000 households are estimated to have received one round of emergency MPCA since the start of the hostilities, while another 35,000 people (including people with disabilities and nursing mothers) have received a top-up and close to 1,800 households have received a second round.  
• Around 85,000 households have cashed out their assistance since 7 October. Even under a normal year where people are expected to have alternative income sources, this package lasts a household for only up to one month. This also does not consider market collapse and price volatility  under the current in-extremis circumstances. This assistance being provided falls well short of needs.    
• From the last round of post-distribution monitoring data collected between the third week of December and mid-January, food remains the most purchased item with humanitarian cash (98 per cent), followed by medicines (31 per cent), debts repayment (21 per cent), water, hygiene products, and transportation. Some 70 percent of respondents  reported that the assistance helped them access needed basic goods and services. 

Challenges: 

• Challenges of electricity and connectivity is affecting the ability of financial service providers to make cash accessible, compromising the retrieval of  round of MPCA package received remains compromised. Nearly 2,600 families have never been able to retrieve the assistance.  
• Since late December, commercial trucks have sporadically entered Gaza, with 607 trucks recorded until 19 January. Truck vendors sell goods  on the streets and in informal markets, complicating efforts to track distributions and gather market data. Informal markets are the primary source of accessible goods. Truck entries have reportedly  ceased since 19 January. Currently, there is limited market data available on informal markets/street vendors  due to challenges with collecting data about  informal market transactions. 

Protection against sexual abuse and exploitation (PSEA) remains a cross-cutting priority for all clusters. The SAWA helpline, reachable at 121 and through WhatsApp at +972 59-4040121 (East Jerusalem at 1-800-500-121), operates 24/7. This toll-free number is widely disseminated across all areas of intervention to report cases of SEA and to facilitate emergency counselling and referrals for affected communities to access life-saving services. The PSEA Network monitors calls daily and will increase the number of counsellors if necessary.

* Asterisks indicate that a figure, sentence, or section has been rectified, added, or retracted after the initial publication of this update.