Palestine Presents Report on Violations Against Persons with Disabilities Before Human Rights Committee in Geneva
Geneva – The State of Palestine presented a comprehensive report before the Human Rights Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, convened in Geneva, outlining the grave violations suffered by persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups under the ongoing Israeli aggression.
The report, prepared by the Ministry of Social Development in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, stated that the aggression has resulted in the martyrdom of more than 61,200 people in Gaza and 993 in the West Bank, including 18,000 children and 12,400 women. It also documented more than 133,054 injuries in Gaza and 6,700 in the West Bank, 11,200 missing persons, and between 33,000–44,000 new disability cases, in addition to the displacement of more than 2 million people, most of whom lost their assistive devices and belongings in an environment unfit for persons with disabilities.
The report highlighted that 115,152 persons with disabilities were already living in Palestine before the aggression, while the number of new disability cases is expected to exceed 33,000, including more than 1,000 child amputees within the first three months. In Gaza, 56% of disabilities are mobility-related, while 69% of children with disabilities are out of school. Over 9,200 children are amputees, 90% suffer from severe food insecurity, 34% endure acute psychological disorders, 17% have lost one parent, and only 12% have access to rehabilitation services.
The report documented more than 697 attacks on the health sector, leading to the martyrdom of 39 physiotherapists, the destruction of over 84% of health facilities and 87% of schools, and the shutdown of the only rehabilitation center at Al-Nasser Medical Complex since December 2023. The blockade continues to prevent the entry of prosthetics, wheelchairs, and medical supplies, further exacerbating disability and marginalization.
On food security, the report revealed that over 81% of Gaza’s population suffers from food insecurity, with more than 500,000 people living in famine-like conditions, and 2.1 million facing severe food shortages, including cases of persons with disabilities dying from hunger and thirst.
The report also documented the compounded violations against women and girls with disabilities, including 10,000 new disability cases, the loss of assistive devices, exposure to violence, lack of privacy, and physical and sexual abuse, particularly during displacement.
Despite these catastrophic conditions, the report outlined the Ministry’s ongoing efforts. It launched the Shock-Responsive Social Protection Protocol (2025–2029), established housing units for displaced persons, provided financial and medical assistance, and formed a medical evacuation committee for child amputees. The Ministry also delivered psychosocial support sessions for 3,840 children, recreational activities for 3,182 children, and supported 30,200 women and girls, including those with disabilities, in shelters, in addition to providing direct case management support for 5,250 women.
As part of its emergency response, the Ministry coordinated with 38 national and international partners, oversaw a $3.5 billion relief and early recovery plan, launched a digital system to track aid, and registered more than 300,000 families on the electronic platform for needs assessment. Aid distribution included 205,000 food parcels, 120,000 hygiene kits, 20,000 tents, and the entry of 7,879 aid trucks, with priority given to persons with disabilities, orphans, women, and the elderly.
In conclusion, Palestine called on the international community and UN bodies to assume their responsibilities by exerting pressure to end the aggression and lift the blockade, ensure humanitarian access, fund the reconstruction and rehabilitation of vital facilities, and guarantee the protection and dignity of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups in Palestine.
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On the International Day for the Elimination of Child Marriage, MoSD Affirms: Protecting Girls Begins with Education, Protection, & Family Empowerment
Ramallah – On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized that child marriage cannot be addressed in isolation from the broader social protection system, as it is linked to multiple factors, including poverty, school dropout, domestic violence, loss of parental care, displacement, and weakened protection networks. The Ministry explained that its role includes protecting children and girls at risk, providing case management, family interventions, psychosocial support, and referral services, and connecting families with assistance, essential services, and economic empowerment programmes. It also coordinates with relevant authorities when the safety of a child or girl is at risk. The Ministry places the best interests of the child and protection from exploitation and abuse at the heart of its child protection services. The Ministry stressed that preventing early marriage also requires protecting families from poverty and economic shocks, supporting girls' continued access to education, raising awareness of their rights, and strengthening families' ability to cope with pressures without resorting to practices that may expose girls to long-term physical, psychological, and social risks. The issue is particularly concerning in the Gaza Strip, where the Ministry warned that the loss of parental care, displacement, extreme poverty, and the declining capacity of extended families to provide care and protection increase children's vulnerability to various forms of exploitation, including early marriage. In this context, the Ministry continues to work with local and international organizations involved in child and women's protection to strengthen early intervention, referral pathways, alternative care, and psychosocial support, alongside assistance to the most vulnerable families to reduce the risk factors that may contribute to early marriage. The Ministry called for child marriage to be addressed as a child protection and human rights issue requiring coordinated action among families and social, educational, health, and legal institutions. It also called for increased investment in girls' education, protection, and empowerment to safeguard their right to grow, learn, and make decisions about their future freely and safely.
On World Children's Day, MoSD: Palestinian Children Face Harsh Realities of Loss, Displacement, Violence, & Deprivation
Ramallah – On the occasion of World Children's Day, observed annually on 20 November, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized that Palestinian children are facing extremely harsh conditions amid the continuing consequences of the Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip and escalating attacks, displacement, home demolitions, and movement restrictions in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. These conditions have deprived children of their lives, families, shelter, education, care, and safety. According to available United Nations data, at least 21,700 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip, while approximately 45,000 have been injured, including more than 11,000 children who have sustained life-altering injuries. Meanwhile, thousands of families continue to experience repeated displacement and deprivation of essential services. In the West Bank, including Jerusalem, children continue to face attacks, forced displacement of families, and damage to schools, homes, and infrastructure. More than 1,700 children have been displaced since the beginning of 2026 as a result of settler violence, movement restrictions, and demolitions. The Ministry stressed that the consequences of war and occupation extend beyond immediate casualties to include bereavement, family separation, hunger, school dropout, child labour, violence, exploitation, acquired disabilities, and psychological and social distress. These risks require a comprehensive and long-term child protection response. The Ministry explained that child protection is a central pillar of its work, implemented through Child Protection Departments in its directorates. These departments receive reports, assess levels of risk, provide case management and family follow-up, facilitate referrals to specialized services, and intervene in cases of violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Their responsibilities also include protecting children engaged in labour or begging, children who have dropped out of school, and children in conflict with the law, in coordination with relevant government authorities and partner organizations. In the Gaza Strip, children's protection and care needs have intensified significantly, particularly among orphans, children deprived of parental care, separated and unaccompanied children, and those requiring psychosocial support. In cooperation with its partners, the Ministry is working to provide alternative care, social follow-up, sponsorship programmes, psychological support, and food, health, and in-kind assistance, while strengthening and restoring child protection services across the Gaza Strip. The Ministry emphasized that protecting children is inseparable from protecting their families. Accordingly, child protection services form part of a broader social protection system encompassing food, cash, and non-food assistance, health insurance, education, school bags and stationery, psychosocial support, services for persons with disabilities, and family economic empowerment. These interventions aim to reduce the risks associated with poverty, displacement, loss of income, and family instability. The Ministry of Social Development called on the international community, United Nations agencies, humanitarian organizations, and donors to provide sustainable support for the Palestinian child protection system. It urged continued funding for alternative care programmes, orphan sponsorship, psychosocial support, education, nutrition, and rehabilitation, alongside support for Palestinian national institutions capable of reaching children and families and ensuring sustained follow-up. The Ministry concluded by emphasizing that World Children's Day cannot be merely an occasion for celebration while Palestinian children are deprived of their most fundamental rights. It stressed that protecting children begins with safeguarding their right to life and extends to ensuring their rights to family care, shelter, food, education, healthcare, protection, and social support.
