Gaza Humanitarian Response Update | 8-21 December 2024

A humanitarian worker distributing vitamin supplies and nutrientsin Khan Younis. Photo by UNRWA

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Period: 8-21 December 2024

The information below is provided every other week by Clusters and select technical working groups operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). For an overview of priority needs and activities by cluster, please see the Flash Appeal.

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Health

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Response

Between 8 and 21 December, primary and secondary healthcare services were provided to 541,900 people, as reported by 38 partners.
During the reporting period, the World Health Organization (WHO) carried out two missions to Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza, delivering 12 pallets of medicines and medical supplies, food parcels, 100 blood units, and 10,000 litres of fuel as well as transferring 16 critical patients and six companions to Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza city. The request to re-deploy an international Emergency Medical Team (EMT) to the hospital continued to be denied, despite the need for immediate surgical interventions for injured patients. Overall, since mid-October, WHO has attempted to conduct 18 missions to the Kamal Adwan Hospital, eight of which were denied and 10 proceeded with impediments.
On 20 December, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) conducted a mission to Al Awda Hospital, delivering medical supplies and transferring ten patients, alongside six companions to Gaza city. One patient and one companion were arrested at the checkpoint between North Gaza and Gaza governorates. 
During the reporting period, WHO collected 42 pallets of medicines and medical supplies from the Zikim crossing and delivered them to southern Gaza. 
WHO has prepositioned seven mental health kits in Deir al Balah which will serve approximately 70,000 people in need of essential medications.

Challenges

Two evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military on 12 and 18 December impacted two hospitals, one primary healthcare center (PHC) and two medical points in the Gaza governorate, as well as four medical points and one PHC in the eastern part of Deir al Balah.
Ongoing hostilities in North Gaza, particularly those directly affecting the Kamal Adwan Hospital, have severely undermined access to healthcare services for trauma patients. 
The persistent shortage of non-communicable disease (NCD) medications and laboratory reagents threatens to further disrupt healthcare provision for patients with NCDs. 
A critical shortage of spare parts and generator oil continues to hamper the maintenance of generators at health facilities throughout the Gaza Strip.

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Nutrition

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Response

In the first half of December, 1,791 children were admitted for outpatient treatment of acute malnutrition and 22 others for inpatient treatment, out of 27,500 screened children. Cumulatively, 36,216 children have been admitted for treatment since the beginning of 2024, representing more than 72 per cent of the Cluster estimate of the number of children requiring treatment for acute malnutrition in 2024. Since last July, the number of admissions has increased to an average of 4,770 cases per month, reflecting both a further deterioration in the nutritional situation in the Gaza Strip and the scaling up of the programme, with an increased ability of partners to detect and enroll acutely malnourished children, particularly Khan Younis, Deir al Balah and Gaza governorates where the majority of the population live. Partners have also expanded the screening of pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW), with nearly 70,000 PBW screened between July and December 2024, 5,200 of whom have been admitted for the treatment of Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM). 
Despite the limited entry of Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (LNS), WFP and UNICEF partners have continued distributing different types of supplementary feeding, reaching at least 34,000 children and 9,500 PBW during the first two weeks of December. The distribution of nutrition commodities is always accompanied by awareness raising and counselling on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices.

Challenges

The frequent forcible displacement of the population and access impediments make it difficult to consistently and comprehensively provide services. Activities by Nutrition Cluster partners in the area east of Salah al-Din Road remain limited due to access constraints. Moreover, it is challenging for partners to re-establish coordination in new displacement sites while ensuring that all relevant stakeholders are informed and involved in the distribution of nutritional supplies and other required follow-up processes. Recurrent displacement by people in search of safety has also made it difficult to monitor cases of malnutrition, especially in children.
Limited truck deliveries and the unstable pipeline of nutrition commodities continue to hamper response activities. On the other hand, many areas lack the infrastructure to enable the storage of sufficient quantities of nutrition supplies, including LNS, Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and Ready-to-Use Infant Formula (RUIF).
Nutrition and food supplies remain insufficient to meet needs, leading to overcrowding and congestion at distribution points as people seek support.

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Food Security

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