Here are five reasons the International Rescue Committee’s Emergency Watchlist ranks Palestine as one of the countries most at risk of worsening humanitarian crisis in 2024.
This year, the occupied Palestinian territory rose to its highest ever position on the IRC’s Emergency Watchlist, as devastating violence is causing a humanitarian emergency that will persist long after the fighting eventually stops.
Gaza is now the deadliest place for civilians in the world.
Palestinians are enduring the brutal consequences of the latest round of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, which is being fought without sufficient regard for the international laws and norms built to protect civilians even in the most dire circumstances.
Israeli forces began airstrikes and ground operations after Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking over 200 hostages—134 of whom remain captive. Israeli military operations have since caused severe destruction and widespread death and displacement throughout Gaza, particularly in the north, killing more than 32,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 74,000 others. Up to 70% of those killed are said to be women and children.
Diplomatic engagement brought about a temporary truce in late November 2023 and the release of some hostages but violence continues. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is calling for an immediate and sustained ceasefire to protect Palestinians from further harm, enable the release of all hostages, and allow for a step-change in the amount of assistance provided to people across the whole of Gaza
“The only way for civilians to be protected and for humanitarian assistance to be provided at the necessary scale required is for the conflict to end,” says Bob Kitchen, the IRC’s vice president of emergencies. “The need for a ceasefire becomes more urgent as each hour passes, with more than two million Palestinians facing humanitarian catastrophe.”
The need for a ceasefire becomes more urgent as each hour passes, with more than two million Palestinians facing humanitarian catastrophe.
Israel’s offensive has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians. More than 12,000 children are dead and tens of thousands are unaccompanied or separated from their families. More than 1,000 Palestinian children in Gaza were killed in the first 100 days of conflict alone.
Some 1.7 million Palestinians, nearly 75% of the population, are estimated to be internally displaced—with many having been displaced multiple times. They are forced to shelter in schools, hospitals and U.N. facilities without basic supplies or sanitation.
The civilian population in the Gaza Strip are being squeezed into smaller and smaller areas. Nearly 1.5 million people, which is more than half of Gaza's population, including over 600,000 children, have sought shelter in Rafah governorate. If Rafah meets the same fate as Gaza City and Khan Younis, all parts of Gaza will be destroyed—alongside any lifeline of hope and survival for hundreds of thousands of Gazans.
The 7-day truce in late November contributed to temporary improvements in humanitarian access and civilian protection. However, since then, widespread bombardment has resumed in Gaza, putting the lives of hundreds of thousands at risk.
The number of Palestinians in need of assistance will continue to grow as violence continues. Only an end to the fighting will offer civilians safety
Even before October 7, almost 80% of Gaza’s population relied on some type of humanitarian assistance. After the destruction of key infrastructure and mass displacement, 3.1 million people across Gaza and the West Bank now require humanitarian assistance.
Many will experience protracted displacement, given that over 60% of Gaza’s housing has reportedly been damaged or destroyed, reinforcing the importance of the rights of Palestinians—most of whom are already refugees—to return to their homes.
Children will lose years of education. Gaza’s 600,000 school-aged children have lost access to education, with 92% of schools being used as shelters, 28% of schools damaged or destroyed, and staff killed or displaced.
A new acronym, WCNSF—wounded child, no surviving family—has been coined by responders and medical staff due to the number of children who have now lost their entire families. More than 1,000 children have lost either one of both their legs according to UNICEF, all of whom will now require lifelong support.
The IRC is deeply concerned about the escalating mental health and psychological toll on civilians, particularly children, who are grappling with the devastating impacts of war.
The IRC, in partnership with Anera, is actively working to provide essential mental health and psychosocial support to children affected by the crisis in schools being used as shelters in the Rafah, Khan Younis and Deir Al Balah governorates in Gaza.
Editor’s note: Following the Israeli attack on a humanitarian aid convoy, resulting in the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers, Anera is taking the unprecedented step of pausing its humanitarian operations in Gaza.
Across Gaza, hospitals and clinics have been damaged and destroyed. Insecurity Insight recorded more than 700 incidents of violence against, or obstruction of access to, health care in Gaza since the outbreak of violence in October.
Only 12 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain partially functional.
The health services that remain are completely overwhelmed and lack health care personnel, which has impacted operations. Health care professionals are continuing to work with minimal rest and scarce resources
Doctors have reported that beyond facing starvation, dehydration, and direct exposure to armed conflict, stress and shock are causing some pregnant women to experience premature labor in a context where emergency care is beyond reach, often resulting in the death of their babies before reaching full term. "Health organizations have reported a threefold increase in miscarriage rates among women in Gaza since October 7," says Arvind Das, IRC team lead for the Gaza Crisis. "The toll of this conflict is enormous, affecting not just the current but also future generations deeply.”
Meanwhile, ongoing border closures prevent patients from traveling to Israel, the West Bank or East Jerusalem for treatment. On top of this, a lack of fuel for water desalination has left 95% of Gaza’s population without access to safe water, increasing the risk of diseases like cholera.
Famine is imminent in northern Gaza and there is a risk of famine spreading across the rest of the Gaza Strip. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) acute food insecurity analysis conducted in December 2023 warned of a risk that famine may occur by the end of May 2024 if an immediate cessation of hostilities and sustained access for the provision of essential supplies and services to the population did not take place.
Since then, the conditions necessary to prevent famine have not been met.
The entire population in the Gaza Strip is facing high levels of acute food insecurity classified in IPC Phases 3, 4 or 5. This includes half of the population (about 1.11 million) experiencing catastrophic food insecurity (IPC Phase 5, Catastrophe). At catastrophic levels, households face an extreme lack of food and are unable to meet other basic needs, even after full employment of coping strategies.
People are starving and face a significantly increased risk of acute malnutrition and death.
International humanitarian law prohibits the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, while the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court provides that intentionally starving civilians by “depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supplies” is a war crime.
“Seeing the numbers of people facing imminent famine in Gaza is shocking and unprecedented. Children are starving due to an entirely man-made and preventable crisis,” explains Sam Duerden, IRC team lead for occupied Palestinian territory.
If escalation continues, a report from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health projects that almost half of all children (46%) in Gaza aged 6 months to 5 years, approximately 140,000 young children—could suffer from acute malnutrition by August. This would be a 15-fold increase from the pre-war prevalence of acute malnutrition, which stood at just 3% before October 7. If this projection becomes reality, Gaza could have one of the highest rates of acute malnutrition in the world.
Famine can be halted still. A ceasefire must be implemented immediately, and Israel must end its arbitrary denial of food, water, fuel and essential medicines. All parties must allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief from all possible land routes and entry points and within Gaza. All hostages must be released.
Israel severely restricted the amount of aid entering Gaza after October 7. Before the war, 500 truckloads of aid entered Gaza daily—with needs increased, a huge uplift in aid is required, but far less is actually arriving.
Within the first six weeks of 2024, the Israeli military denied access to more than 50% of aid missions planned for north of Wadi Gaza and 25% for areas south of Wadi Gaza. Around 2,300 trucks have entered Gaza in February, a nearly 50% reduction from January’s daily average and less than 16% of pre-conflict level deliveries.
Aid delivery has also been constrained by the displacement and death of humanitarian aid workers. As of March 2024, 168 U.N. staff have been killed—making Gaza the most dangerous place for aid workers in the world.
As the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to reach new lows daily, world leaders—including President Biden—must use all available influence to push for an immediate and sustained ceasefire. Airdrops—or a new port that could take weeks to construct—are not a solution.
Gaza’s recovery after the fighting ends will depend on whether, and how intensely, Israel maintains its policy of preventing basic goods and services from entering Gaza
Throughout 2023, tensions also rose in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Since October 7, violence between security forces, settlers and Palestinians has increased significantly. Some 418 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem have been killed, including 106 children, and more than 5,700 others have been arrested—including more than 2,000 who are being held without a charge or trial.
The ongoing conflict has also spurred a notable increase in displacements within the West Bank linked to settler violence and the destruction of homes during Israeli military operations. Movement restrictions due to newly created checkpoints and roadblocks have also limited the availability of essential goods and medicines, as well as children’s access to education.
The IRC is closely monitoring and assessing the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). The IRC and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) have deployed three successive Emergency Medical Teams to provide emergency and life-saving medical care, including direct medical care at hospitals, and the distribution of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals The team, composed of trauma doctors, surgeons, pediatricians and water and sanitation experts, are offering surge and relief support to hospitals and providing life-saving medical care to injured Palestinians.
In partnership with Anera, the IRC is working to provide essential mental health and psychosocial support to Palestinian children. We are utilizing a comprehensive approach that prioritizes the needs of children between the ages of 4 and 18, to implement therapeutic activities including play, art therapy and life skills training. Our activities are designed to empower children to cope with their experiences, express themselves creatively, and develop essential life skills for the future, thereby promoting healing, resilience, and emotional wellbeing. By fostering a safe and supportive environment, we aim to mitigate the long-term impact.
The IRC has also partnered with Nafs to establish a Mobile Community Center (MCC) that will enhance the access of marginalized people, mainly children, to their residential areas and provide them with Mental Health and Psychosocial services in the West Bank and Gaza strip.
The IRC has also procured or released 46 metric tons of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies which the IRC and our partners are distributing to support health facilities across Gaza. These include pediatric and psychotropic medicines as well as trauma supplies and are based on needs identified and coordinated across health actors working in Gaza.
We have also partnered with Palestinian NGO, Juzoor for Health and Social Development, to address the health and mental health needs of those displaced and to provide access to basic services for children and families. Together, we are providing critical services, including health services, psychosocial support and cash assistance, in more than 20 shelters throughout Gaza.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Welfare Association (Taawon) have partnered to combat the severe hunger affecting displaced families in Rafah, southern Gaza, where over one million people have been displaced and have sought refuge in what is considered Gaza’s last haven. The project intends to alleviate hunger and prevent starvation; improve the nutritional intake of the affected families by providing vital nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, with a special focus on supporting vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly; and enable these families to redirect their limited financial resources toward other essential needs, including health care or non-food items, thereby mitigating the economic impact on internally displaced persons.
The IRC’s response in oPt draws on our global experience and expertise in emergency response, as well as our longstanding presence in the region. In 2022, IRC teams across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen and Libya helped 6.3 million people.
The IRC is working with partners to deliver critical emergency aid to families in Gaza and conflict zones around the world. Donate now to support our critical work. We are on the frontlines providing critical aid to crisis-affected people in more than 50 countries, including places on the 2024 Emergency Watchlist.
Read more about the top 10 crises the world can’t ignore in 2024 and learn more about the IRC's 2024 Emergency Watchlist.
