Increased risks of gender-based violence in Gaza, and displacement and violence in the West Bank

In turn, UNFPA has reported increased risks of gender-based violence, child marriage, and exploitation of women and girls.

The Fund noted that damage to health facilities, safe spaces and clinics, in addition to displacement and movement restrictions, as well as floods, have greatly limited access to psychosocial support and medical care.

The OCHA office stated that United Nations partners providing emergency shelter assistance were able to reach more than 13,000 families from last Sunday to yesterday, Wednesday, distributing hundreds of tents and plastic sheets.

He stressed that the partners are also continuing to distribute mattresses, sleeping bags, blankets, warm clothes, and cooking tools, in addition to solar lamps.

The office quoted the partners responsible for site management as saying that due to capacity and funding constraints, they are currently only able to provide support to approximately 40% of the 970 displacement sites across Gaza.

The situation in the West Bank

Regarding the situation in the West Bank, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that more than 100 Palestinian families of Bedouins and herders from five population centers in the central West Bank were displaced in just two weeks between January 6 and 19.

He added that this was due to settlers’ continuous attacks, threats and intimidation, explaining that these attacks prevented residents from reaching their homes, pastoral lands, and water sources.

The United Nations Population Fund reported on Wednesday that ongoing operations by Israeli forces, coupled with settler violence and movement restrictions, continue to impede people’s access to schools, workplaces, markets and health care.

The agency estimates that more than 230,000 women and girls, including nearly 15,000 pregnant women, face difficulty accessing reproductive health services due to escalating violence.