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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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.
