Occupied Palestinian Territory | Humanitarian Needs Overview and Response Plan 2023

February 03, 2023

Occupied Palestinian Territory | Humanitarian Needs Overview and Response Plan 2023

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY (oPt)

Humanitarian Needs Overview and Response Plan 2023

Overview

The occupied Palestinian territory (OPT) is one of the most complex and challenging environments in which the United Nations operates.The OPT remains a protracted political crisis characterized by 55 years of Israeli military occupation. This crisis is exacerbated by a lack of adherence to international humanitarian and human rights law, internal Palestinian divisions and the recurrent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Palestinian armed groups. The results are chronic protection concerns and humanitarian needs which will continue in the absence of a sustainable political solution and opportunities for further development. The crisis has been further exacerbated by the compounded impact of the increased cost of commodities due to the war in Ukraine, slow recovery from the 2021 May escalation of hostilities, and increasing violence in the West Bank.

The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) estimates that in 2023, approximately 2.1 million Palestinians across the OPT will require some form of humanitarian assistance. The humanitarian conditions created by OPT’s multi-dimensional crisis continues to impact all parts of the territory and affect every aspect of Palestinian life. Palestinians are in their fifth decade of grappling with the safety, security, financial and emotional consequences of occupation and political turmoil.

Crisis Context and Impact

In Gaza, the Israeli occupation and 15 years of an Israeli imposed blockade/movement restrictions and recurrent escalations between Israel and armed groups in Gaza have contributed to Gaza’s dire living conditions. In June 2007, after the 2006 legislative elections and following the takeover of Gaza by Hamas, the Israeli authorities implemented a blockade citing security concerns, virtually isolating the 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza from the rest of the OPT and the world more broadly. This land, sea and air blockade on the Gaza Strip (the terms "Gaza Strip" and "Gaza" are hereafter used interchangeably) intensified previous restrictions, imposing strict limits on the number and specified categories of people and goods allowed through the Israeli-controlled crossings. Restrictions imposed by Egypt on the movement and access of people and goods at Rafah, the Gaza-Egypt crossing further exacerbates the situation. Rapid population growth coinciding with challenges to development gains and limited resources have resulted in further deterioration of living standards and development prospects in Gaza.

In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israel’s military occupation continues to impede basic human rights of Palestinians. Under the Oslo Accords, the West Bank was divided into East Jerusalem and Areas A, B and C, whereby each area is governed by different administrative and security regulations. The ongoing conflict, including the possible indiscriminate use of force against civilians by Israeli forces, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and/or other armed groups, and Israeli occupation practices including the possible excessive use of force, demolitions, evictions, settlement expansion and settler related violence all drive insecurity, reverse and prevent socioeconomic progress, breed a climate of mistrust and tension between Palestinians and Israelis, and undermine political solutions.