As of 12 December, according to UNRWA, almost 1.9 million people in Gaza, or nearly 85 per cent of the population, are estimated to be internally displaced, many of them have been displaced multiple times.
As of 11 December, nearly 1.3 million of these IDPs were registered in 155 UNRWA facilities across Gaza, including more than 1.1 million in 98 UNRWA shelters in the Middle Area, Khan Younis and Rafah governorates. Obtaining an accurate total is challenging, given the difficulties involved in tracking IDPs staying with host families, the renewed movement of IDPs following evacuation orders since 1 December, and the evacuation of five UNRWA shelters on the orders of the Israeli military in eastern Khan Younis on 6 December.
Due to the overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions at UNRWA shelters in the south, there have been significant increases in some communicable diseases and conditions such as diarrhea, influenza, chicken pox, meningitis, jaundice, impetigo acute respiratory infections, skin infections and hygiene-related conditions like lice.
On average, UNRWA shelters south of Wadi Gaza are sheltering nine times their intended IDP capacity.
Read the full report: Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #68
A 6-year-old displaced boy in southern Gaza, where heavy rains have worsened the already dreadful living conditions of people staying outdoors, adding to the risk of waterborne diseases. Photo by UNICEF/El-Baba, 6 December 2023
