The MoSD calls on humanitarian organizations to respect the dignity of citizens and distribute aid equitably
Although hundreds of aid trucks are entering the Gaza Strip daily since the signing of the ceasefire agreement, the chaos in aid distribution and the lack of fairness continue to persist, especially as only a few trucks reach the warehouses of the Ministry of Social Development.
The Ministry of Social Development holds all local and international humanitarian organizations, in addition to the de facto authority in Gaza, responsible for the chaos in relief efforts and the lack of equity in distribution, as well as the quota system that exacerbates the suffering of our people in the Gaza Strip.
The Ministry reiterates its call to all parties to coordinate with the Ministry and the Government Operations Room for emergency interventions and to adopt the updated National Social Register, which includes data for over 300,000 Palestinian families in need of assistance. This is to ensure fair distribution and respect for the dignity and needs of the citizens.
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MoSD Launches Large-Scale Humanitarian Aid During Eid Al-Adha
The Ministry of Social Development has launched a wide-ranging package of humanitarian interventions during the Eid Al-Adha holiday, targeting poor and displaced families across the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The initiative reflects the scale of the social response required under the current humanitarian circumstances and includes the distribution of more than 21,600 Qurbani meat portions in cooperation with humanitarian organizations and national partners. The Ministry confirmed that animal slaughtering will take place on the first day of Eid Al-Adha, while distribution activities will be carried out through the Ministry’s directorates in 12 governorates during the second and third days of Eid. Distribution will follow approved mechanisms and criteria to ensure assistance reaches the most vulnerable families. Directorate teams will deliver the meat portions to village councils and municipalities for onward distribution to beneficiary households across targeted areas. The Ministry noted that these interventions primarily focus on displaced families in the northern West Bank, as well as Bedouin communities at risk of forced displacement, particularly in the governorates of Jericho and Tubas, in addition to poor and marginalized families throughout the West Bank. The interventions are being implemented in partnership with the French Humanitarian Aid Organization, ANERA, and the Preventive Security Service, alongside several charitable associations, humanitarian organizations, and supporting entities, including the Compassionate Hearts Association, Living with Dignity Association, the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, the Jordan Hashemite Charity Foundation, the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), Multameen Al Khair Association, Farkha Al Khair Association, as well as contributions from individual donors. The interventions also include the distribution of approximately 2,170 Eid clothing packages, shopping vouchers, and garments for children, vulnerable families, and orphans, particularly in displacement areas. In addition, more than 1,300 food and relief parcels will be distributed across several governorates, while nearly 19,700 sacks of flour have been provided as part of efforts to strengthen food security for affected families. In the Gaza Strip, the Ministry’s humanitarian interventions, implemented in cooperation with the Palestine Tomorrow Community Development Association, include the distribution of 17,000 Qurbani meat portions, benefiting 4,000 orphans and 13,000 highly vulnerable families during the Eid holiday. In addition, 3,000 Eid clothing items have already been distributed to orphans and the most vulnerable families, alongside 100 newborn care packages for highly vulnerable households. Furthermore, during the past week, 3,000 hot meals of rice and meat were distributed to residents of shelters and orphaned children as part of ongoing efforts to alleviate the severe humanitarian conditions facing people in Gaza. The Ministry emphasized that these interventions are being carried out as part of its national and social responsibility to support the most vulnerable groups and strengthen the resilience of citizens amid challenging humanitarian and economic conditions. It also reaffirmed its commitment to continuing coordination with partners to expand the humanitarian response and reach as many families in need as possible throughout the Eid holiday.
The MoSD condemns the international community's inaction in allowing rodent control supplies into the Gaza Strip
Ramallah – The Ministry of Social Development has warned of a rapidly escalating health and environmental crisis in the Gaza Strip resulting from the unprecedented spread of rodents, including rats and other pests, in displacement camps and densely populated areas. The Ministry stressed that the situation poses a direct threat to the lives and safety of civilians, particularly children, older persons, women, persons with disabilities, and individuals with chronic illnesses. The Ministry emphasized that the catastrophic humanitarian conditions facing Gaza’s population, coupled with the widespread destruction of infrastructure and essential services, have created an ideal environment for rodents to breed and spread extensively throughout displacement camps and shelters. The Ministry explained that the destruction of nearly 80% of the waste collection vehicle fleet, combined with the accumulation of more than 350,000 tons of solid waste in streets and around displacement sites, as well as the destruction of sewage networks and the overflow of wastewater between tents, has significantly intensified environmental and public health risks. The Ministry further noted that the continued presence of approximately 8,500 bodies trapped beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings, alongside millions of tons of debris scattered across the Gaza Strip, has contributed to creating fertile conditions for the rapid proliferation of rodents within residential areas and displacement camps, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks and epidemics. According to the Ministry, approximately 1.45 million people living across 1,326 displacement sites are directly exposed to rodent-related health risks, including more than 680,000 children who are living in conditions that lack even the most basic health and environmental protection measures. The Ministry added that health and humanitarian reports indicate that more than 70,000 cases associated with rodents, pests, and related environmental conditions have been recorded since the beginning of the year. These include approximately 17,000 direct cases resulting from bites, infections, and skin diseases, while children account for nearly 80% of all reported rodent-bite victims. The Ministry pointed to field reports from Gaza documenting incidents in which children, infants, women, and older persons were directly attacked by rodents while sleeping inside tents and shelters, highlighting the severity of the threat facing the most vulnerable groups in society. The Ministry stressed that the impact of rodents extends beyond health risks. Rodents are also damaging and tearing tents, contaminating food supplies and humanitarian aid, penetrating flour sacks and food packages, and destroying the limited personal belongings on which displaced families rely for their daily survival, thereby worsening food insecurity and living conditions. The Ministry noted that municipalities and local authorities face significant challenges in addressing the problem due to severe shortages of equipment, machinery, and pest-control materials, as well as the lack of access to effective pesticides and rodenticides because of restrictions on their entry into Gaza. This has greatly limited the ability of relevant authorities to contain the spread of rodents and pests. The Ministry warned that the continuation of these conditions, coupled with rising temperatures during the summer season, could lead to outbreaks of serious rodent-borne diseases, including Rat-Bite Fever, Leptospirosis, and a range of bacterial, viral, and skin infections, particularly in light of the severe collapse of the healthcare system and the acute shortage of medicines and medical supplies. The Ministry renewed its call on the United Nations, international and humanitarian organizations, and donor partners to take urgent action to support humanitarian and environmental interventions in Gaza, including the provision of pest-control supplies, support for municipalities in removing waste and debris, rehabilitation of sewage systems, and the delivery of essential equipment and materials needed to protect civilians from escalating health risks. The Ministry stressed that the situation in Gaza has evolved beyond an environmental or service-related crisis and has become a major public health and humanitarian disaster threatening the lives of more than 1.4 million people. It called for immediate international intervention to prevent further deterioration and to protect civilians—particularly children, women, older persons, and persons with disabilities—from expanding health and epidemic risks.
