by Ivy Laidlaw-Morris, LHI Volunteer
Source: Norwegian Refugee Council
Just in the past month, 815,000 people have been displaced from Rafah alone, according to the UN (OCHA). Over the past several months, over 1 million people had fled to Rafah and neighboring areas, but are now being displaced once again. The UN estimates that over 70,000 houses have been destroyed as a result of the ongoing bombardment of Gaza. Strikingly, OCHA reports, over 75% of the population in Gaza are displaced as of February (this is 1.7 million out of 2.3 million people).
Source: Norwegian Refugee Council
A large number of displaced Gazans headed to al-Mawasi, where LHI sponsored the construction of tents and communal kitchens. The area is now overcrowded with those seeking refuge and aid. The Norwegian Refugee Council describes the increasingly inhumane conditions in al-Mawasi: “There is panic and fear everywhere... al-Mawasi [is]... without adequate shelter, with many sleeping in makeshift shelters directly on the sand.” And conditions only worsen.
The insufficient trickle of humanitarian aid into Gaza has already dropped by 67% since May 7th. This stark lack of aid has dramatically declined dietary diversity and increased rates of malnutrition. The statistics are difficult to internalize: 95% of children aged six to 23 months eat two or less different food groups per day as of May. Moreover, 85% of children did not eat for a whole day at least once in the three days before the survey was conducted. Since mid-January, 93,409 children aged 6-59 months have been screened for malnutrition, of whom 7,280 have been diagnosed with acute malnutrition. Nearly 8% of children screened have acute malnutrition.
Source: Norwegian Refugee Council
The heartbreaking conditions in al-Mawasi demonstrate the need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, an end to the death and destruction, and unrestricted access to aid. Donate to LHI to further help displaced Palestinians in Gaza.