The West Bank and Gaza
1.4 million Palestinian refugees are in Gaza, 858,000 are in the West Bank
64% of the population in Gaza lives in poverty
61% of the West Bank is off-limits for Palestinian use
74 years life expectancy
What is happening in The West Bank and Gaza?
Since the Oslo accords – which handed responsibility for security and civilian affairs over to the Palestinian Authority (PA) – around 60% of the West Bank is still under full Israeli civil and military control, impacting the flow of people and goods throughout the territory.
Given the fraught social and political situation in the area, improvements in social and health care are more difficult to achieve. On 7 October, the militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, launched a violent coordinated attack on Israel, killing more than 1,400 people and taking over 220 people hostage. In response, Israel declared a state of war and began a series of retaliatory air strikes and bombardment across Gaza.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, over 28,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the conflict; about 1 in 7 of those killed are said to be women and children.
The situation in the West Bank has continued to deteriorate. There has been an escalation of violence including the repeated use of live ammunition and air strikes. For Palestinians in the West Bank, 2023 was the deadliest on record. Even before Hamas’ attack on October 7, Israeli forces had already killed 234 Palestinians in the West Bank, while settlers were responsible for nine more killings. Of these deaths, 52 occurred in Jenin alone, including in its refugee camp, which was repeatedly attacked throughout 2023.
What’s the health situation?
Health facilities inside Gaza continue to be overwhelmed with the huge number of casualties seeking emergency treatment for injuries and other critical medical needs, which are rising quickly due to the overcrowded living conditions people are experiencing. 34% of hospitals inside Gaza and 64% of primary care facilities are currently not functioning due to damage and/or lack of fuel. Those that have continued operating are having to ration care to only the most serious cases. There is a depletion of all drugs and medical supplies as well as blood shortages, which has led the Ministry of Health to appeal for blood donors. The WHO is warning of a looming public health catastrophe and there are particular concerns for vulnerable groups such as the 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza or the 350,000 people with NCD conditions such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease who need access to chronic medications.
The West Bank has a high demand for emergency medical supplies due to the number of casualties. The WHO has documented repeated attacks on healthcare including obstruction of ambulances and delivery of healthcare, physical violence towards health personnel, and detention of health staff and ambulances. Area C has remained inaccessible for mobile clinics, leaving communities without access to essential healthcare services.
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See how your donation makes a difference
£5 can help us to give 15 people treatment
£20 will provide 16 children with antibiotics
£100 will provide 83 pregnant women with life saving medicine.
£450 will provide am emergency medical kit to 60 families.
Whatever you give, you could be making a life-changing, even life-saving difference to someone every month.
See how your donation makes a difference
£5 is enough to source and send £600 worth of medical supplies a year to people in need; enough to help approximately 50 people around the world.
£10 is enough to source and send £1,200 worth of medical supplies a year to people in need; enough to help approximately 100 people around the world.
£25 is enough to provide around 750 treatments in a year, helping approximately 250 people in need; and for some, is the difference between life & death.
£100 is enough to provide medicines and supplies for approximately 1,000 people a year living in disaster-hit and vulnerable communites.
Whatever you give, you could be making a life-changing, even life-saving difference to someone every month.
What is IHP doing to help?
IHP works in The West Bank and Gaza with our partner, Anera, which has operated in the area since 1968. We support Anera to equip clinics and hospitals in both territories, to ensure that as many people as possible in the area can access high-quality healthcare.
So far, IHP has sent two shipments to Gaza. The first shipment, containing over 68,000 treatments of vital medicine, entered Gaza and was used immediately to meet the urgent medical needs of over 37,000 people. The second shipment containing over four tonnes of medical supplies is being stored in Jordan and will follow into Gaza shortly. Plans for further shipments for Gaza are underway. In response to wider regional tensions, IHP is working proactively with our partners to identify potential flashpoints and is prepositioning stock ready to be shipped to the area as needs arise. As a result, we have also coordinated one shipment to the West Bank since the start of the conflict.
Stories from the West Bank and Gaza
Our partner in the West Bank and Gaza
International Health Partners
Fox Court, 14 Gray's Inn Road,
London, WC1X 8HN
United Kingdom
Fox Court, 14 Gray's Inn Road,
London, WC1X 8HN
United Kingdom
Charity number: 1105455
Company number: 05044723
EORI number GB010120512000.
International Health Partners
Fox Court, 14 Gray's Inn Road,
London, WC1X 8HN
United Kingdom
Fox Court, 14 Gray's Inn Road,
London, WC1X 8HN
United Kingdom
