Key Points  

The Gaza Strip 

• On the morning of 1 December, hostilities resumed following the end of a humanitarian pause that started on 24 November.
• UNRWA confirms that one colleague was killed during strikes before the humanitarian pause. In total, 111 UNRWA colleagues have been killed since 7 October.
• Almost 1.9 million people (or over 80 per cent of the population) have been displaced across the Gaza Strip since 7 October.
• As of 2 December, UNRWA has been able to verify that 117 incidents have occurred at 85 UNRWA premises since the beginning of the war. 30 installations were hit directly and 55 sustained collateral damage. In addition, UNRWA has received reports of the military use of its facilities on at least five occasions.
• As of 2 December, almost 1.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) were sheltering in 156 UNRWA installations across all five governorates of the Gaza Strip, including in the North and Gaza City.  
• Nearly 1 million IDPs were sheltering in 99 facilities in the Middle, Khan Younis and Rafah areas.  

Overall Situation 

The Gaza Strip

• Between 7 October and 19 November, over 12,700 fatalities were reported by the Gaza Ministry of Health, which then stopped reporting directly due to the collapse of many hospitals. Since then, the Gaza Government Media Office (GMO) has reported more than 2,300 additional fatalities, bringing the cumulative toll to over 15,000 by 2 December, including 6,150 children and more than 4,000 women.
• Overall, around 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel, according to Israeli Authorities, the vast majority on 7 October (OCHA).

The West Bank

• According to OCHA, since 7 October, 243 Palestinians, including 65 children, have been killed by Israeli Forces in the West Bank. In addition, eight people, including one child, have been killed by Israeli settlers.

Humanitarian Access, Protection of Civilians 

The Gaza Strip

• As of 2 December, 111 UNRWA colleagues have been killed since the beginning of the war.
• One UNRWA school in Maghazi camp, in the Middle area, was directly hit and, as a result, three internally displaced persons (IDPs) were injured. The same school had already been hit twice before and had been evacuated. However, due to lack of space in other shelters, some IDPs families were staying at the school at the time of the incident.
• One UNRWA school in Deir Al Balah, in the Middle Area, sustained collateral damage due to a strike on a building nearby. Three IDPs sustained minor injuries. The school is sheltering approximately 10,200 IDPs.
• Due to a strike on a nearby building, a significant amount of shrapnel fell into two UNRWA schools in Jabalia camp, in the Northen Area, resulting in collateral damage to the school building.
• After further verifications, nine additional incidents impacting UNRWA installations were reported across the Gaza Strip. Six schools, one health centre, one centre for the visually impaired and one training centre sustained collateral damage due to strikes nearby.
• UNRWA estimates that in total 218 internally displaced people in UNRWA shelters have been killed and 901 injured since the start of the war. UNRWA continues to verify the number of casualties caused by incidents that impacted its installations.

UNRWA Response  

The Gaza Strip  

        UNRWA Shelters 

• The number of displaced people continues to increase. Between 30 November and 2 December, at least 60,000 additional IDPs sought refuge in UNRWA shelters in the Middle and Southern areas.
• In total, almost 1.2 million displaced people are now sheltering in 156 UNRWA installations.
• The average number of IDPs in UNRWA shelters is 10,326, more than four times their capacity.
• UNRWA teams continued to handle maintenance works at dozens of shelters. This includes maintenance for water and wastewater networks, water pumps and submersible pump network, repair of leaks, replacement of damaged fittings, maintenance for the electrical and internet network, repairs to clogged sewage line and doors and other securing works.

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Health 

•  On average, there are 10,500 medical consultations in UNRWA health centres per day.
• Between 30 November and 2 December, nine (out of 22)* UNRWA health centres were still operational in the Middle and Southern areas, recording 20,487 patients visits, including Palestine Refugees and non-refugees.
• Midwives are providing care for post-natal and high-risk pregnant women at the nine operational health centres. There are an estimated 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza, with more than 180 giving birth every day. A total of 718 post-natal and high-risk pregnancy cases were attended to at health centres between 30 November and 2 December. In addition, post-natal care continued in the shelters, with 1,322 cases attended to since 7 October.
• Between 30 November and 2 December, at least 1,752 children were vaccinated at seven health centres according to the national vaccination programme, bringing the total number vaccinated to 13,374 since 4 November.
• In the same period, emergency dental services (bleeding, swellings, trauma and extraction) were provided to 685 cases at seven health centres.
• UNRWA continued to provide health care to IDPs at shelters through medical teams (between 102 and 126) between 30 November and 2 December. 284 health workers attended to a total of 30,409 patients. Each team is composed of 1-2 doctors and a nurse.

        Psychosocial support (PSS)

• UNRWA teams, including 196 social workers in the shelters, provided psychosocial first aid and other specialized protection services to IDPs. Since 7 October, 87,308 people have been reached.
• UNRWA school counsellors and other organizations reached around 377,000 children with recreational activities.
• In cooperation with UNMAS, UNRWA school counselors organized 2,144 sessions focused on Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE). These initiatives were specifically designed to provide guidance on navigating and mitigating the risks associated with war remnants.

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Food Security

• UNRWA distribution of flour outside of shelters continued on 2 December in the southern governorates. A total of 41,700 families have been reached so far.

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     Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

• On 30 November, during the humanitarian pause, UNRWA continued to operate nine water wells pumping about 10,000 cubic metres to provide potable and domestic water supply. Potable water trucking operations to the shelters in Rafah and Khan Younis areas continue.
• Shelters in Rafah began to receive potable water through tankers from the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility.
• Solid waste collection from the camps, emergency shelters and transfer to landfills continued in the Middle, Khan Younis and Rafah areas. About 45 loadings were transferred to temporary dumping sites on 2 December. There is an urgent need for additional sanitation trucks and vehicles.
• Provision of emergency transfer service of solid waste from shelters continued with available resources. There is a shortage of sanitation trucks and vehicles. A private contractor started to support the collection and transfer of solid waste and preparation for a temporary dumping site in Rafah.

Quote from a widow with three children living in an UNRWA shelter

"I haven't eaten for days, whatever little food we receive, it is not enough and I give it to my children. It is so difficult to get water and my child got diarrhea from drinking dirty water. I am alone with no support, I am scared for myself and my children, I don't know what to do”.

#HearTheirVoices  

ENDs -  

* On 30 November, exceptionally, two additional UNRWA centres opened in the southern area for one day.