Humanitarian Crisis in Occupied West Bank: NGO Sounds Alarm

Deteriorating Humanitarian Situation

• ⚠️ The occupied West Bank is experiencing a drastically deteriorating humanitarian situation, with unprecedented levels of settler violence and Israeli demolitions since October 7.
• 🚧 Since January, a large-scale Israeli military operation, 'Iron Wall', has displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians, severely affecting their access to basic services like healthcare.
• 📍 Barriers and sieges around villages and towns prevent people, including children, from accessing schools, healthcare, and workplaces, making life extremely difficult.

Attacks on Health Services

• 🏥 Over 200 attacks on health services, including ambulances and mobile clinics, have occurred this year in the West Bank.
• ♿ A partner organization, the Al Jaleel Health Centre in Jenin refugee camp, was attacked, with Israeli soldiers filmed playing with and throwing wheelchairs belonging to the center.
• 🛠️ The Al Jaleel Health Centre provides vital physiotherapy, re-education services, and prosthetics for amputees, which are crucial for individuals to access education, services, and livelihoods.

Collapse of Education and Healthcare

• 📚 The education system is collapsing, with children attending in-person classes only three days a week due to teachers not being paid adequately, impacting their ability to afford transportation.
• 📉 Both health and education services have seen a significant collapse, leading to a generation of children with zero access to education, especially those with disabilities.
• 🆘 Handicap International is scaling up activities in health and education, providing essential services and working with a network of partners and community-based agents.

Urgent Needs and Gaza Situation

• 🛡️ The most critical need is to protect civilians in the West Bank, without which no other progress is possible.
• 💣 In Gaza, an estimated 70,000 tons of explosives have fallen, equivalent to six times the Hiroshima bomb. Every day, approximately 10 children are amputated or lose limbs.
• ⏳ Decontamination efforts are urgently needed in Gaza to prevent further injuries and casualties, especially with the fragile ceasefire in place.