On the International Day for the Elimination of Abuse of Older Persons: Palestinian Older Persons Between the Vulnerabilities of Age and the Harsh Realities of War
On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Abuse of Older Persons, observed annually on 15 June, the Ministry of Social Development reaffirms its steadfast commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of older persons. This commitment is grounded in a comprehensive national and international legal framework, foremost among them the amended Palestinian Basic Law of 2003, which guarantees social protection for all citizens; the Palestinian Draft Law on Older Persons No. (2) of 1999, which establishes their rights to care, protection, and participation; the United Nations Principles for Older Persons adopted in 1991; and the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (2002), which calls upon states to ensure the independence, participation, dignity, care, and self-fulfillment of older persons.
Older persons constitute a significant demographic group in Palestine. Their number is estimated at approximately 336,000 persons aged 60 years and above, representing 6% of the total population, including around 228,000 in the West Bank and 108,000 in the Gaza Strip. Available data indicate that 92% of older men are married, while widowhood affects 42% of older women, highlighting a heightened level of social vulnerability that requires targeted interventions.
While abuse of older persons is traditionally defined as physical, psychological, economic abuse, or neglect, the Palestinian context reveals an additional dimension not commonly addressed in international literature: structural abuse resulting from war. When an older person is deprived of life-sustaining medication due to the collapse of the healthcare system, forced to flee three times in a single week while losing a walking aid or medical device, or denied adequate access to food because an entire area is cut off from supplies, this constitutes systematic abuse. Such practices are in direct violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which obligates the protection of civilians and vulnerable populations during armed conflict, and are inconsistent with relevant international human rights commitments concerning the protection of older persons.
In the Gaza Strip, approximately 108,000 older persons have been living under catastrophic conditions after more than 32 months of war. More than 70% suffer from chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Reports indicate that 80% urgently require medicines and medical equipment that remain inaccessible due to the destruction of the healthcare system. With regard to disability, data show that 48% of older persons in Palestine experience at least one functional difficulty, while 32% of those aged 75 years and above live with severe disabilities or complete functional limitations. The World Health Organization has reported more than 42,000 new disability cases in Gaza since the onset of the war, while over 83% of persons with disabilities have lost or seen damage to their assistive devices. These challenges are compounded by extreme weather conditions, including harsh winter cold and intense summer heat, which disproportionately affect older persons in the absence of adequate shelter and heating.
In the West Bank, older persons continue to face escalating violations that directly affect their daily lives. Restrictions on movement impede access to regular healthcare services for those dependent on ongoing medical care. At the same time, increasing armed settler violence poses a direct threat to older persons living in rural and marginalized communities, particularly those living alone. The situation is even more severe for widowed older women who head their households while lacking sufficient income and protection mechanisms.
In response to these challenges, the Ministry of Social Development continues to provide a comprehensive package of services. The Ministry operates “Beit Al-Ajdad” (House of Grandparents) in Jericho, the only government-run residential care center for older persons in Palestine, which provides residential care for approximately 100 older persons annually. Through the service-purchasing mechanism, the Ministry also funds accommodation for an additional 150 older persons in five accredited institutions. Furthermore, 12 specialized social counselors follow up on the conditions of more than 1,200 older persons residing in care institutions. In cooperation with partners, the Ministry provides daytime care services to 600 older persons, awareness-raising services to 700 older persons, psychosocial support services to 300 older persons, individual and group counseling to 450 older persons, assistive and medical devices to 350 older persons, and home-based care services to 400 older persons. In coordination with the Ministry of Health, approximately 70,000 older men and women benefit from free government health insurance. During 2026, thousands of older persons also benefited from winterization assistance, food aid, in-kind support, and cash assistance provided through emergency response programs implemented in partnership with international organizations.
The Ministry’s work is guided by the National Strategy for Older Persons (2021–2026), developed in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The strategy is based on five key principles: independence, participation, care, self-fulfillment, and dignity. In addition, the Ministry, in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO), completed a study on activating Article 121 of the Public Pension Law, which aims to establish a fixed social allowance for poor older persons with no source of income. The Ministry is also working with the Ministry of Local Government to establish day clubs for older persons in villages and towns to promote social participation, encourage active ageing, reduce isolation and social withdrawal, and improve their psychological, health, and social well-being.
The Ministry calls upon all members of society, as well as public institutions, civil society organizations, and the media, to strengthen a culture of respect for older persons and appreciation of their contributions, and to report any cases of abuse or neglect through the Ministry’s toll-free hotline (189) or through its directorates across all governorates.
The Ministry also calls on the international community and humanitarian and human rights organizations to translate international commitments into immediate action by advocating for safe humanitarian corridors that ensure unhindered access to medicines, food, and care services for older persons in Gaza, and by funding specialized care programs commensurate with the scale of the humanitarian crisis affecting older Palestinians.
On this occasion, the Ministry of Social Development renews its commitment to advancing the rights of older persons and improving their quality of life. It further calls for Palestinian older persons to be prioritized in international humanitarian responses, emphasizing that the challenges they face today are not merely the result of age-related vulnerability, but rather the direct consequence of systematic violations that undermine the most fundamental principles of humanity.
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Access to Services & Information in an Understandable Language Is a Fundamental Right of Persons with Disabilities
Ramallah – On the occasion of the International Day of Sign Languages, observed on 23 September, the Ministry of Social Development affirmed that sign language represents a fundamental right for deaf and hard-of-hearing persons, and that ensuring accessible communication and access to government, social, health, and educational services forms part of the right to equality, participation, and independence. The Ministry explained that its role in supporting persons with disabilities is not limited to providing assistive devices, but also includes case management and social follow-up, health insurance, referrals to rehabilitation services, provision of wheelchairs, hearing aids, eyeglasses, hearing and vision examinations, medical supplies, protection and care services, economic empowerment, and linking persons with disabilities to specialized services and partner organizations. During 2026, the Ministry continued to develop its interventions for persons with disabilities through its directorates, centers, and partnerships with specialized institutions, with a focus on improving accessibility, facilitating access to services, and promoting social inclusion. The Ministry’s interventions also include providing assistive devices and technologies, following up on the most vulnerable cases, connecting them with rehabilitation, education, protection, and social support services, and working with partners to improve services in a manner that reflects different types of disabilities and the specific needs of each case. The Ministry stressed that sign language is not an additional service or a secondary support tool, but a fundamental means of exercising rights. The absence of accessible communication may prevent a deaf person from understanding a service, expressing their needs, reporting violence or abuse, or accessing care and protection. Providing reasonable accommodations and information in accessible formats is therefore an essential component of quality social services. This issue is of particular importance in the Gaza Strip, where war-related injuries have increased the number of people requiring rehabilitation services and assistive devices. Recent humanitarian reports indicate that around 2% of Gaza’s population is now living with serious conflict-related injuries, while shortages of rehabilitation equipment and assistive products, including hearing aids and mobility devices, persist, and the entry of such supplies continues to face prolonged delays. Reports also indicate an ongoing need for specialized services for children with disabilities in Gaza, including assistive devices, rehabilitation, psychosocial support, and referral services. At the same time, children with hearing, mobility, or visual disabilities face additional barriers to accessing protection, education, and information in overcrowded displacement settings. In July alone, hundreds of children with disabilities received multisectoral support, including cash assistance, assistive devices, rehabilitation, psychosocial services, and specialized referrals. The Ministry emphasized that strengthening sign language services and accessibility should extend across government services, health and educational institutions, protection and shelter centers, humanitarian information, warnings, and emergency guidance, ensuring that deaf persons can access information at the same time and to the same standard as others. The Ministry called on government institutions, civil society, the private sector, and donors to increase investment in sign language interpretation services, training for service providers, expanded digital and physical accessibility, provision of hearing and other assistive devices, and support for rehabilitation and inclusion programmes. It stressed that building an inclusive social protection system begins with removing the barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from independently and safely accessing their rights and services.
At Least 19 Deaths Due to Hypothermia During the Past Two Winters in the Gaza Strip
MoSD Warns Ahead of Winter: Gaza’s Deteriorating Tents Can No Longer Protect Displaced Families from Cold and RainRamallah – With the rainy season and winter approaching, the Ministry of Social Development warned that hundreds of thousands of displaced families in the Gaza Strip are entering another season of cold and rain after nearly three years of repeated displacement and living in tents, temporary shelters, and damaged buildings that can no longer provide even minimum protection from harsh weather conditions. The Ministry called for urgent international action to provide safer and more dignified shelter solutions before risks intensify with falling temperatures and the onset of rainfall. The Ministry stressed that tents originally erected as emergency solutions for days or weeks cannot become homes for years. Continuous exposure to sun, heat, wind, and rain, combined with repeated dismantling, relocation, and reinstallation, has caused many tents to deteriorate and lose their ability to provide insulation and protection. Other families are living in damaged or unsafe buildings amid widespread destruction of housing, infrastructure, and essential services. According to the latest Shelter Cluster estimates cited by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), approximately 94% of Gaza’s population requires shelter and non-food item assistance, while 58% of the population faces critical or catastrophic shelter needs, and around 84% of households experience severe constraints in their living conditions, including inadequate protection from the weather. Recent field assessments have also identified deteriorating shelters requiring urgent winterization, along with inadequate rainwater drainage, unsafe sanitation facilities, sewage-related risks, overcrowding, and infestations of insects and rodents. These conditions are likely to worsen with rain and cold amid shortages of funding, materials, and equipment required for early winter preparedness. The Ministry stressed that, for a displaced family living in a tent or damaged building, winter can mean soaked bedding and clothing, damaged food and medicines, contaminated water, the spread of disease, loss of remaining possessions, and cold itself becoming a direct threat to life, as well as the risk of damaged buildings collapsing and endangering families. The Ministry noted that previous winters demonstrate that these risks are not hypothetical. The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented at least 19 deaths associated with hypothermia during the past two winters alone. This figure does not include any cases from the first winter of the war that were not documented by United Nations agencies. The Ministry warned in particular of the risks facing children, especially infants and newborns, whose bodies are less able than those of adults to regulate temperature. Malnutrition, illness, and exhaustion further increase their vulnerability to cold. Save the Children has warned that the absence of warm and safe shelter, combined with displacement and shortages of food and healthcare, places children at greater risk of hypothermia, respiratory illnesses, and other cold-related complications. The Ministry added that these risks are not limited to children but also extend to pregnant and breastfeeding women and mothers who have recently given birth, who require safe, warm, and clean environments and regular healthcare. Wet tents, cold temperatures, lack of privacy and clean water, and difficulties accessing health facilities further increase health risks during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Reports by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have identified pregnant women and new mothers among the groups most vulnerable during winter amid malnutrition, harsh displacement conditions, and difficulties accessing healthcare services. The Ministry stressed that these conditions pose additional risks to women after childbirth and to newborns, when the need for warmth, adequate nutrition, hygiene, and medical care is particularly critical. Cold, dampness, and overcrowding can increase the risk of infections and other health complications, requiring pregnant and breastfeeding women and new mothers to be given clear priority in shelter and winter response plans. The Ministry also warned that winter places additional burdens on persons with disabilities, injured persons, and amputees, who already face difficulties in mobility and in accessing water, sanitation facilities, and medical services. These challenges become even more severe when pathways and floors in displacement sites turn to mud and water accumulates around tents. World Health Organization estimates indicate that approximately 43,000 injured people in Gaza have sustained life-changing injuries, while estimates of limb amputations have exceeded 5,000 cases, increasing the need for accessible shelters, stable flooring, safe pathways, assistive devices, and rehabilitation services. The Ministry explained that a person who uses a wheelchair or prosthetic limb, or who has sustained a spinal cord or brain injury, cannot navigate mud, standing water, and confined tents in the same way as others. Therefore, accessible shelter and access to sanitation facilities and essential services are fundamental components of protection, not additional requirements. Risks are also heightened for older persons and people living with chronic diseases due to lower temperatures, damp conditions, overcrowding, difficulties in mobility, and limited access to services, alongside an increased likelihood of respiratory illness and the worsening of chronic conditions. United Nations reports have indicated that inadequate shelter conditions, unsafe water, and winter weather contribute to increased risks of communicable and respiratory diseases at a time when Gaza’s health system continues to have limited capacity to meet the scale of needs. The Ministry emphasized that Gaza’s winter crisis is not merely a crisis of tents. It is an interconnected crisis involving shelter, water and sanitation, health, protection, nutrition, and access to services. A flooded tent can mean the loss of a child’s clothing and bedding, a family’s food and medicines, and important documents. Disrupted sewage and rainwater drainage systems increase the risk of disease, while unsafe pathways and the absence of adequate lighting and accessible facilities increase the risk of falls, accidents, and violence, particularly for women, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities. The Ministry noted that previous winters saw thousands of tents and temporary shelters flooded or damaged by storms and heavy rainfall, leaving children and families in cold, wet, and unsafe conditions. Experience has shown that intervening only after shelters have flooded or children have been hospitalized with hypothermia cannot be considered winter preparedness; rather, it is a delayed response to a disaster whose impact could have been reduced through preventive action. The Ministry of Social Development stressed the need to act before storms and rainfall begin by replacing deteriorated tents and shelters; providing transitional shelters and units better able to withstand wind and rain; and allowing the entry of tarpaulins, insulation materials, mattresses, blankets, winter clothing, and safe heating supplies in quantities commensurate with the scale of need. It also called for displacement sites to be rehabilitated, rainwater drainage channels cleaned and reopened, sewage accumulation addressed, waste removed, and insects and rodents controlled. The Ministry further stressed the need to ensure the entry of fuel, generators, spare parts, and essential equipment required to operate water, sanitation, and health facilities. Priority, the Ministry emphasized, must be given to children and infants; pregnant and breastfeeding women; new mothers; older persons; persons with disabilities; injured persons and amputees; and families with members living with chronic diseases. This should include accessible shelters, assistive devices, rehabilitation services, mobile healthcare, psychosocial support, and protection services within displacement sites, supported by early and sustainable financing for the winter response rather than waiting for damage to occur before intervening. The Ministry stressed that the Gaza Strip does not need temporary solutions that reproduce the tent crisis year after year. What is required is a genuine transition from short-term emergency response to safer, more dignified, and sustainable shelter solutions, particularly after nearly three years of displacement and reliance on shelters never designed for long-term habitation. The Ministry of Social Development concluded by stressing that the time available for preparedness is narrowing and that cold and rain must not once again become additional causes of loss of life. It called on the international community, donors, and humanitarian organizations to treat the coming weeks as a critical window for preventing a recurrence of the tragedies witnessed in Gaza during previous winters and to ensure that children, women, older persons, people with illnesses, and persons with disabilities do not enter another winter in shelters that have lost their ability to protect them.
