Humanitarian Issues in the oPt - Key Humanitarian Issues - November 2014 Prepared by OCHA on Behalf of the Humanitarian Country Team

Oct 5, 2026

Uploaded by Ben

November 2014 Prepared by OCHA on behalf of the Humanitarian Country Team outlines key humanitarian issues in the oPt, describing a protracted protection crisis driven by insufficient respect for international law, recurrent hostilities, and seasonal winter flooding. The briefing details threats to life, liberty and security, displacement risks and current internal displacement in Gaza, and worsening food insecurity linked to restricted economic access. It also documents restricted access to basic services including healthcare, education, WASH, energy, and shelter, amplified by 2014 hostilities and damage to public infrastructure.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages27

Reading Time1 h 8 min

AccessFree to download

Key humanitarian issues

Threats to life, liberty and security

Displacement

Erosion of livelihoods and lack of economic opportunities and access to food

Restricted access to basic services

Impact of the crisis

Highlights

November 2014 Prepared by OCHA on behalf of the Humanitarian Country Team Key humanitarian issues ............ 1 Impact of the crisis...................... 1 Drivers and underlying factors ..... 2 Information gaps....................... 18 Annex: Operational environment..................................................23 National and local capacity and response .................................... 23 Humanitarian access ................. 24 Security constraints ................... 24 Assessment registry: [www.ochaopt.org](www.ochaopt.org) KEY HUMANITARIAN ISSUES The context in the oPt is a protracted protection crisis with humanitarian consequences, driven by insufficientrespect for international law by all sides. Palestinians in the oPt face a range of serious protection threats related to these factors including threats to life, liberty and security, destruction or damage to homes and other property, forced displacement, restrictions on freedom of movement and on access to livelihoods, and lack of accountability and effective remedy. These threats are exacerbated by theinability of the sides to reach a political agreement, which could end the longstanding occupation and conflict. The seasonal winter flooding further exacerbates pre-existing humanitarian needs. In 2014, there was a sharp increase in the severity of humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip as a result of the July-August conflict. Across the oPt the main issues of concern include: Threats to life, liberty and security Palestinian civilians across oPt continue to be subject to various threats to their life, physical safety and liberty, stemming from Israeli military and law enforcement operations, settler violence and the actions of Palestinian armed groups and security forces. This year has seen a marked increase in fatalities in the West Bank, an unprecedented (since 1967) civilian death toll and destruction of civilian objects and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip during the July-August 2014 conflict. The conflict has also resulted in an extensive presence of explosive remnants of war and other explosive hazards posing a serious threat to the life and physical integrity of Palestinians and humanitarian workers in Gaza, and restricting resumption of livelihoods. Displacement Thousands of Palestinians throughout the oPt have been forcibly displaced or are at acute risk of forced displacement or even forcible transfer as a result of multiple factors including policies and practices related to the ongoing occupation, recurrent hostilities, violence and abuse. In Gaza, over 100,000 people remain internally displaced as a result of the July-August hostilities due to the severe damage/ destruction of 20,000 housing units, while in the West Bank, of particular concern, currently are over 7,000 Bedouins and herders from 46 communities in Area C who are at risk of forcible transfer.The Israeli authorities have claimed that these Bedouin communities lack title over the land and that the“relocation”will improve their living conditions. | Erosion of livelihoods and lack of economic opportunities and access to food Results of the Socio-Economic and Food Security survey (SEFSec) indicated a continued high level of food insecurity in oPt in 2013 with 1.6 million Palestinians deemed food insecure. Food insecurity in oPt is primarily due to a lack of economic access to food, stemming from a low and a decreasing purchasing power of Palestinian families directly related to the cumulative impact of the occupation, namely restrictions on access to land, water and markets; the lack of free movement of people and goods within and between West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip; and the inability to freely and predictably access regional and international markets for goods and services combined with reduced international aid and the PA’s fiscal crisis. Women’s low economic participation contributes to food insecurity and high economic dependence ra

FAQs

What main factors drive the protracted protection crisis in the oPt?

The crisis is driven by insufficient respect for international law by all sides, recurrent peaks of hostilities, and seasonal winter flooding that expands humanitarian needs.

Which protection threats are highlighted for Palestinian civilians across the oPt?

Threats include risks to life, physical safety and liberty from military and law enforcement operations, settler violence, and actions of Palestinian armed groups and security forces.

How does access to food and livelihoods get eroded in the oPt?

Food insecurity is primarily linked to lack of economic access to food, stemming from low purchasing power and restrictions on access to land, water, and markets, alongside reduced aid and the PA’s fiscal crisis.

Oct 5, 2026

Uploaded by Ben