Gaza humanitarian crisis

Operation Cast Lead: one year on

One year since the Israeli military offensive, codenamed Operation Cast Lead, the Gaza Strip remains in a protracted crisis. Of the 1.5 million people in Gaza, 80% depend on humanitarian aid. This was already the case before the 22-day war that began on 27 December 27th 2009. But today, the consequences of that war still overwhelm the coastal strip, as badly-needed reconstruction materials remain banned from entering Gaza.

Podcast: Report from Oxfam staff

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On film

In late July 2009, Oxfam documented the lives of three families in Gaza affected by the Israeli war and ongoing blockade.

Oxfam in action

While the bombs were still dropping, Oxfam was already mobilising water, tanks, hygiene kits and food parcels for thousands of Palestinians whose communities were directly hit by the attacks, and was supporting partner organisations responding to the crisis in the field.

Our team in Gaza delivered 3,300 food parcels in 11 localities in the last days of the war and the first week after Israel’s unilateral ceasefire.

In the first three months after the war, Oxfam distributed more than 40 million litres of water. We also organised psycho-social group therapy sessions with local partners for 180 women traumatised by the war.

Longer term

Our programmes include helping jobless Gazans through ‘cash-for-work’ programmes, helping farmers, supporting activities in kindergartens promoting hygiene and healthy living among young children, running a food voucher project which provides locally-grown fresh produce at fair prices to poor and food insecure families, and distributing hygiene kits.

In the southern parts of the Gaza Strip, Oxfam has also been working with households to develop the space on their rooftops to breed rabbits and fish, and to grow fruit and vegetables.

Oxfam continues to work with local partners, including those who are helping Gazans receive compensation after losing their jobs in Israel several years ago. Since the beginning of the 2000 Intifada (Palestinian uprising) when stiff movement restrictions were imposed, thousands of Palestinians lost their jobs, salaries and severance rights.

Learn more

• Situation in Gaza

Background to the conflict

Operation Cast Lead began when Israel launched mostly air attacks on the densely populated Gaza Strip on 27 December 2008. Israel said this was in response to rocket and mortar fire by Hamas fighters, following the lapse of an earlier truce on 19 December 2008. This was preceded by an Israeli military incursion into Gaza on 4 November, which reportedly killed six alleged members of Hamas – which Israel said aimed to destroy a tunnel built by militants.

Most of the 1.5 million people in Gaza were already very vulnerable because of Israel’s severe blockade on Gaza. Approximately 80 per cent of Gaza families were receiving some form of humanitarian assistance before the conflict began, which was severely disrupted.

Photostory: Gaza blockade enters third year

Fighting intensified when Israel launched a ground offensive on 3 January. Two unilateral ceasefires were declared by Israel and then Hamas on 18 January, after 24 days of conflict. This caused the humanitarian situation to deteriorate rapidly. Health, fuel and water infrastructure, which were already heavily under strain before the Israeli offensive, were pushed to the brink of collapse.

Briefing Note: Rebuilding Gaza