Gaza Humanitarian Response Update | 8-21 July 2024

Recreational activities provided by UNRWA to children in Gaza. Photo by UNRWA

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Period: 8-21 July 2024

The information below is provided on a bi-weekly basis 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

During the reporting period, 49 Health Cluster partners reached about 350,000 people across the Strip. As of 23 July, there are 13 Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) supporting the local healthcare workforce, including one in northern Gaza, and there is continued work to expand the bed capacity of hospitals.
Following the detection of Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus (VDPV) Type 2 in environmental samples collected from Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been working closely with the Ministry of Health in Gaza and partners to initiate response measures, including the deployment of a Polio expert to conduct further assessments and guide the response strategy.
The Health Cluster has set up a medical evacuation taskforce to lead the establishment of an effective and reliable medevac process.

Challenges

The numerous mass casualty incidents are stretching partners’ capacities to respond to trauma and emergency cases, amid a critical shortage of hospital beds as many hospitals have been put out of service.
Hospital generators remain at a breaking point due to overuse, the lack of alternative power generation options and constrained access to spare parts, placing the lives of critically ill and injured patients at risk.
The lack of access to clean water, hygiene kits, and sanitation facilities continues to pose major health risks and drive a surge in acute respiratory infections (currently exceeding 990,000 cases), diarrheal illnesses (577,000 cases), acute jaundice syndrome (107,000 cases) and skin infections. These health issues are exacerbated by poor living conditions and overcrowding in Gaza, making it even more challenging for healthcare providers to respond effectively.

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Nutrition

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Response

Partners continue to conduct Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) screenings in shelters and healthcare facilities across the Gaza Strip. Since mid-January, 169,101 children aged 6-59 months and 10,355 pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) have been screened for malnutrition. Of all screened children, 11,541 have been diagnosed with acute malnutrition and have been receiving treatment in line with the simplified protocols; these include 8,993 children diagnosed with Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), and 2,548 with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM). Additionally, 271 PBW have been enrolled in treatment.
As of 20 July, 307 service delivery points for blanket supplementary feeding and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) counselling were available at 296 sites. Since mid-July, nearly 100 metric tons of Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (LNS-MQ) entered Gaza, allowing partners to resume the Blanket Supplementary Feeding Program (BSFP) at scale.
In July, as part of the “Find and Treat” campaign, 624 volunteers have so far been trained in screening, Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM), and IYCF practices. To date, a total of 438 health workers have been trained in CMAM, including 22 between 8 and 21 July, and 838 community workers have been trained to detect and refer identified cases of acutely malnourished children for treatment.
The Management of Acute Malnutrition Technical Working Group has developed a new set of tools for partners to better detect and manage malnutrition cases among infants under six months of age.
The Cluster continues to carry out a soft survey, mainly in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah, to acquire a better picture of the general distribution of Breast-milk Substitutes (BMS), such as infant formula and other milks, which is concerning given the associated risks of increased infant morbidity and mortality in emergencies, especially as the water and sanitation situation continues to deteriorate.

Challenges

Repeated displacement, insecurity and access constraints continue to hamper the early detection of children and women requiring nutrition services and the scale-up of operational presence to provide needed support. Tents have been set up to conduct malnutrition screenings and provide services, but the lack of privacy renders breastfeeding counselling challenging.
Repeated displacement, including among children diagnosed with malnutrition, has made it difficult for partners to monitor and follow up on malnutrition cases and for families to carry supplies for malnutrition prevention and treatment.
Insecurity, access constraints, and limited infrastructure hinder the delivery and storage of nutrition supplies like LNS-SQ, Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), and Ready-to-Use Infant Formula (RUIF).

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Food Security

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Response

As of 20 July, 13 out of 18 bakeries supported by humanitarian partners were operational in the Gaza Strip – four in Gaza