MoSD: The Gaza Strip Is Facing a Worsening Humanitarian Catastrophe... Civilians Are Struggling to Survive
The Ministry of Social Development is following with deep concern the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing aggression, the tightened blockade, and the continued restrictions on the entry of humanitarian assistance and essential goods. These conditions have led to an unprecedented collapse of the basic foundations of life, forcing hundreds of thousands of families to endure extremely harsh living conditions that threaten their right to life and dignity.
The Ministry affirms that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is no longer limited to shortages of basic necessities. It has evolved into a multifaceted crisis characterized by forced displacement, severe food insecurity, the deterioration of health services, water scarcity, environmental degradation, and soaring prices, while the population faces an almost complete inability to meet even their most basic needs.
In this context, the Israeli occupation continues to expand forced evacuation zones, significantly reducing the areas available for civilians and displacing thousands of families in recent weeks. At the same time, civilian casualties continue to rise, with women and children accounting for the majority of victims.
The Gaza Strip is also experiencing unprecedented levels of food insecurity following the closure of most community kitchens and the sharp decline in the flow of humanitarian aid. As a result, the majority of families are no longer able to secure even one meal a day, amid the absence of income sources, shortages of fuel and cooking gas, and the dramatic increase in the prices of essential commodities beyond the purchasing power of most households.
The Ministry warns of the alarming deterioration in health and nutritional conditions, particularly among women and children. Thousands of pregnant and breastfeeding women are enduring extremely difficult humanitarian conditions in displacement centres and tents, with limited access to food and healthcare, increasing rates of miscarriage and malnutrition, and growing threats to the lives of tens of thousands of children.
At the same time, the water crisis continues to worsen as severe shortages of safe drinking water persist. Citizens, particularly women and children, are forced to wait for hours under the scorching sun to obtain limited quantities of water, while rising temperatures and the collapse of water and sanitation infrastructure further compound the crisis.
Residents also face daily hardship in obtaining bread due to limited production capacity and severe flour shortages. Long queues have become a daily reality, and many people return home without being able to secure their most basic food requirements.
The Ministry further notes that the accumulation of solid waste, the spread of rodents and insects, and the lack of pest control supplies have significantly increased environmental and public health risks, contributing to rising rates of skin diseases and communicable illnesses, particularly among children, while the healthcare system continues to collapse amid critical shortages of medicines and medical supplies.
The Ministry stresses that the continued electricity outages, severe fuel shortages, the absence of cooking gas, and the widespread destruction of agricultural land have all deepened the humanitarian crisis, turning daily life in the Gaza Strip into a constant struggle to secure the most basic means of survival.
The Ministry of Social Development reiterates that the situation in the Gaza Strip constitutes a deepening humanitarian catastrophe and a grave violation of international humanitarian law, requiring urgent and responsible international action. It calls upon the international community, the United Nations and its specialized agencies, and the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to fulfil their legal and humanitarian obligations by taking immediate and effective measures to ensure the full and sustained opening of border crossings, guarantee the safe and unhindered flow of humanitarian assistance, relief supplies, and essential goods throughout the Gaza Strip, provide international protection for civilians, and ensure their access to food, safe drinking water, healthcare, and shelter. Such action is essential to halt the accelerating humanitarian deterioration and prevent the expansion of famine and humanitarian collapse threatening the lives of more than two million Palestinians.
The Ministry renews its call that saving civilian lives in the Gaza Strip can no longer tolerate further delay. Immediate international action has become a humanitarian, moral, and legal imperative to protect civilians, bring an end to the worsening humanitarian catastrophe, and safeguard the Palestinian people's fundamental right to life and human dignity.
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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.
Psychosocial Support, Case Management, and Referral Are Key Components of the Social Protection System for the Most Vulnerable Groups
Ministry of Social Development: Displacement, Loss, Violence, and Economic Pressures Require an Integrated Psychosocial ResponseRamallah – On the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day, observed annually on 10 September, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized the importance of strengthening psychosocial support and community-based protection services and expanding early access to support, particularly for groups facing prolonged and severe pressures resulting from displacement, loss, violence, poverty, and family and social instability. The Ministry noted that the 2026 World Suicide Prevention Day theme, “Changing the Narrative on Suicide,” focuses on reducing stigma, creating space for safe conversations about psychological distress, and strengthening the ability of individuals and families to seek help and access appropriate services at the right time. The World Health Organization also emphasizes that prevention requires policies and services that ensure access to care and support, rather than relying on awareness-raising alone. The Ministry explained that mental health is an integral part of social protection, and that its role extends beyond providing material assistance to families to include psychosocial support, case management, family follow-up, referral to specialized services, protection from violence, and interventions targeting children, women, orphans, older persons, persons with disabilities, displaced families, and other vulnerable groups. The Ministry stressed that accumulated economic and social pressures, combined with repeated displacement and the loss of homes, sources of income, or family members, can have a direct impact on individuals’ mental health, particularly children, women, and families living in vulnerable circumstances. This requires an early and integrated response that combines psychosocial support, protection, and access to essential services. Since the beginning of 2026 through the end of August, the Ministry of Social Development has delivered approximately 135,000 social protection and care services and interventions across the West Bank and Gaza Strip. These included protection services for women, children, and juveniles; care for orphans; services for persons with disabilities and older persons; psychosocial support; case management; family follow-up; and referrals to specialized services. The Ministry also emphasized the importance of working with families and the wider community surrounding individuals, noting that effective social protection requires strengthening family and community support networks, alleviating economic and social pressures, and connecting individuals with available services. These factors constitute an essential part of prevention and of strengthening people’s ability to cope and remain resilient. The Ministry of Social Development called on local and international organizations and partners to expand psychosocial support programmes, strengthen the capacities of professionals working in protection and case management, and further develop referral pathways and coordination across the social, health, and education sectors, to ensure a more comprehensive response for individuals and families facing accumulated psychological and social pressures.
