Ministry of Social Development: Three years of war on Gaza have left a deep humanitarian and social catastrophe

Ministry of Social Development:

▪Three years of war on Gaza have left a deep humanitarian and social catastrophe, affecting children, widows, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and poor families.

▪The number of orphans reached 71,846 children, with growing risks of poverty, dropping out of education, exploitation, and neglect.

▪The number of widows reached 64,413 women, while the number of households headed by women rose to about 86,000 households.

▪The number of elderly people reached 118,876, amid difficulties in obtaining medicines, health care, and shelter.

▪The number of persons with disabilities reached 16,963 people, in addition to thousands of injured and amputation cases who need rehabilitation and prosthetics.

▪The number of displaced households inside shelter centers reached 258,927 households distributed across 2,090 shelter centers.

▪More than 1.2 million people faced crisis-level or worse food insecurity, while 530,000 families were registered on the national relief system.

▪We call for a transition from temporary relief to a sustainable social protection system that includes cash support, food, health, education, rehabilitation, and psychological support.

▪We call on the international community to stop the war, open the crossings, bring in aid, medical supplies and shelter items, and provide sustainable funding for orphans and families who have lost their breadwinner.

▪We stress the need to develop an urgent plan for social recovery and to rebuild social safety nets in the Gaza Strip.