UNICEF in the State of Palestine – 2023 Year End Situation Report

15 February 2024

Highlights

• 2023 saw a stark increase in tension and violence across the State of Palestine (SoP). At least 22,185 Palestinians were reportedly killed in the Gaza Strip from 7 October to 31 December 2023, including more than 5,350 children.
• 2023 was the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank, with a total of 506 Palestinians killed, and also the deadliest for children with more than three times as many killed as in 2022.
• All children under five in the Gaza Strip – 335,000 – were at high risk of severe malnutrition and preventable death at the end of December 2023.
• UNICEF’s timely responses to the increasing humanitarian needs in the State of Palestine have reached more than 1,300,000 affected people in 2023.
• UNICEF provided lifesaving WASH services reaching 1,326,000 people, including over 676,260 children, and also provided lifesaving health activities in the Gaza Strip, including the delivery of over 966,000 doses of vaccines. To enable timely response, UNICEF scaled up supply operational capacity through Egypt / Rafah.
• Cash assistance in the Gaza Strip through UNICEF covered the basic needs of 578,763 people (74,354 families; 296,306 children).
• Child Protection structured mental health and psychosocial services in the West Bank were provided to 6,641 children and 8,612 caregivers. In the Gaza Strip, more than 55,000 children received support for their wellbeing.
• Further achievements include strengthened healthcare infrastructure, improved malnutrition management, heightened community awareness, and specialized training interventions, all contributing to enhancing the well-being of vulnerable populations and enabling an effective response to emergencies.