GAZA, (PIC)
The Gaza ministry of social development said the Strip is facing an unprecedented recovery crisis as the consequences of the war continue to deepen, with more than 80% of Gaza’s population displaced from their homes and the conflict leaving behind tens of thousands of orphans, widows, and sole survivors.
Speaking at a press conference in Gaza City, Riyad Al-Baytar, undersecretary of the ministry, said the war has left more than 75,000 orphans who have lost one or both parents. He added that there are now more than 68,000 sole survivors, including both children and adults, as well as 45,000 widows, including 28,000 women widowed during the latest war, around 8,000 of them since October 7, 2023. He warned that these figures are expected to rise.
Al-Baytar said 80% of Palestinian families have lost their homes and are living in worsening humanitarian conditions after being displaced to shelters, government schools, UNRWA schools, or tents.
He estimated that about one million Palestinians, nearly half of Gaza’s population, are living in displacement shelters, while the other half are staying outside official shelters. Only about 10% of residents remain in damaged or partially destroyed homes that fail to provide adequate protection.
Addressing the humanitarian situation, Al-Baytar said the aid entering Gaza since the ceasefire began falls far short of the population’s needs. Between 120 and 150 aid trucks enter the Strip each day, he said, well below the minimum required, describing the situation as evidence of policies that continue to obstruct humanitarian assistance.
He cited data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) showing that international funding for Gaza has reached only 25% of overall humanitarian requirements. As a result, relief programs have been severely affected, with community kitchens now producing only 300,000 meals per day, compared with an estimated daily need of one million meals.
Al-Baytar said Gaza’s recovery efforts remain stalled, with humanitarian organizations unable to fully resume their operations because of the scale of the crisis and the ongoing funding shortfall. Approximately 75% of the required funding has yet to be secured, he added.
He also accused Israel of continuing to control the work of humanitarian organizations through the Civil Administration, imposing procedures and conditions that hinder aid operations while linking humanitarian work to security and military considerations.
According to Al-Baytar, social, educational, and healthcare services in Gaza have either completely collapsed or are operating at minimal capacity due to the ongoing war and destruction of infrastructure, compounded by soaring prices, economic paralysis, and irregular salary payments for large numbers of government employees.
He said economic conditions, along with political and security considerations, continue to hamper humanitarian operations, while banking restrictions, limitations on donor-funded programs, and Israeli measures have made aid delivery increasingly difficult, wasting resources and undermining the principles of neutrality, fairness, and accountability in humanitarian assistance.
Al-Baytar also warned that some local and international organizations have collected personal data without obtaining the necessary authorizations, creating confusion and raising concerns over the protection of citizens’ privacy.
He stressed the need to unify Gaza’s humanitarian response under the ministry’s aid distribution plan, coordinated with charitable organizations, arguing that an effective relief system requires an integrated technological infrastructure.
He concluded by saying the ministry has adopted a unified national database linked to the civil registry, allowing citizens’ information to be updated continuously and providing a centralized system designed to improve fairness and efficiency in the distribution of humanitarian aid.