HI provides aid in 98 shelters in Gaza

Since October 7 and the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas, at least 18,787 Palestinians have been killed about 50,100 injured in Gaza by continuous bombing by Israeli forces. This devastating toll comes after a massive attack launched by Hamas on October 7, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking hostage 240 Israelis and foreign nationals.

Danila Zizi, HI Country Director for Occupied Palestinian Territories, explains the humanitarian response provided by HI in Gaza since October 7.

HI with displaced people

HI's emergency activities remain concentrated in emergency shelters for displaced persons. With the efforts of our 100 staff and volunteers, we have been able to reach all 98 shelters that have been set up in Gaza and assess the humanitarian needs of more than 5,000 displaced people.

Distribution in case of crisis

So far, HI has distributed almost all of its three stocks of assistive devices and items for emergency situations in southern Gaza: We have distributed 575 wheelchairs, crutches, etc., for people who are wounded or with disabilities. Additionally, we provided 309 wound dressings to families to help them to treat light injuries that do not require a doctor.

We also distributed 88 kitchen sets, 85 dignity kits, 1,264 diapers, and 81 baby blankets to displaced families who have evacuated their houses, some multiple times, without their personal belongings, and now remain in shelters. We were able to organize the same distribution in the West Bank, where we provided 470 dignity care and hygiene kits to displaced families from Gaza.

With our partners, overall, we were able to distribute humanitarian aid to up to 3,500 people.

Recreational activities and risk education

We have conducted 67 recreational activities in shelters for up to 29,000 people, the vast majority being children. These activities, consisting of games, songs, and drawing, are important to alleviate children's anxiety and provide them a moment of normality.

More than 11,115 children and adults participated in our risk education and preparedness for conflict sessions. 900 leaflets were distributed, and an SMS was sent to 500,000 people just a few days after the beginning of the violence reminding the best practice to protect oneself in the context of armed conflict. These sessions are crucial as they provide information about the dangers caused by the presence of explosive remnants following a bombing campaign and instruct the public on how to protect themselves. They also offer tips on the best ways to protect oneself during an attack.

A long-term response

We are exploring the possibilities to scale up our response in Gaza. We are organizing a large shipment of humanitarian supplies from Egypt to Gaza in the coming days. We are considering working in host communities and houses, supporting emergency rehabilitation care in hospitals, or using mobile teams for rehabilitation and psychosocial support to cover more locations.

We will also gradually expand the number of our teams. 100 people from HI and partners are already working on our activities in Gaza.

We know that even if violence ends today, our response to the crisis in Gaza will be ongoing in the long run.

About HI in Palestine