Families in Gaza are stuck in a dramatic situation where regular markets have collapsed, while the available food and goods are scarce, with prices skyrocketing. The massive destruction of infrastructure has heavily impacted Gaza’s farms, normally a source of sustenance for the locals.
Meanwhile, international assistance entering Gaza has dwindled, with the volume of food and other aid allowed to cross the border reaching dangerous new lows.
About 1.8 million people in Gaza are facing unprecedented levels of food insecurity. Conditions in northern Gaza are even more dire, with little to no aid reaching them in recent weeks.
Just 6 days after the first bombings pounded the Gaza Strip 1 year ago, UNICEF was able to distribute emergency cash assistance to tens of thousands of families who were suddenly left without any income. Thanks to this humanitarian cash transfer programme funded by the European Union and other donors, we ensured a lifeline for Gaza residents struggling to meet their basic needs.
‘I used the money to buy what we were lacking — food, vegetables, milk, nappies for my son, fruit, and medicine for the children,’ says Madeline, a single mother of several young children. ‘This assistance made a huge difference, especially after I lost my husband.’
UNICEF has reached more than 890,000 people — nearly 30% of the Gaza population — with this vital assistance, benefitting more than 400,000 children among them.
‘The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis confirms our worst fears for children in northern Gaza. 1 in 5 children suffer from wasting, the most life-threatening form of malnutrition,’ said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban in a statement on 18 October.
Families like Madeline’s — for example, with small children, a single parent, elderly family members, or adults with disabilities — find it difficult to travel the distances needed to find food and water. Most are living in tents, displaced multiple times while being subjected to bombing and shelling.
Asma, her husband, and 3 children — all under the age of 10 — used the cash assistance provided to purchase fruit, which has become a rare treat providing important nutrients. ‘The cash was like a rescue for us,’ she says.
The continuing reach of this assistance is possible because UNICEF had prepared for such an emergency. During the war, UNICEF established an e-wallet system where recipients receive notice of a cash transfer on their mobile phones. The transfer, currently 1,000 New Israel Shekel (NIS) (about $270), can be picked up at a vendor or from a UNICEF-authorised agent.
Families can also receive an additional transfer — a top-up — with approval. Usually, these additional disbursements go to breastfeeding women or children with disabilities. Recipients are verified as those most in need in the Gaza Strip.
‘I received cash from UNICEF twice and it helps a lot,’ says Alaa, a mother of 4. ‘The situation before receiving the money was very bad.’
Children are the most susceptible to the effects of malnutrition. Without proper food and care, children who do not get enough of the right food can suffer long-term physical damage and become more vulnerable to illness.
‘My daughter suffers from malnutrition and needs continuous treatment to improve her condition. With UNICEF’s cash support, I bought milk, nappies, and vegetables for her,’ says Shahed, another young mother. She and her daughter may be living on a mattress in a tent, but they cling to each other and to life.
