• Homes, hospitals and essential water and sanitation infrastructure have been destroyed. 
• Food deprivation has reached extreme levels. Famine is imminent with half of the population on the brink of starvation. 
• Gaza has become the most dangerous place in the world to be a child, according to UNICEF. Children make up roughly half of the Gaza's population and they are dying at an alarming rate.
• Residents are also enduring lack of access to medical care, safe shelter and clean water. Infectious diseases are on the rise in the crowded conditions.
• The escalation of military activity in Rafah, southern Gaza, has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, making life even harder for thousands of families who have already been displaced several times.
• Meanwhile, those in Jerusalem and the West Bank are under increasingly dire economic stress due to widespread loss of income, leaving families struggling to cover the cost of basic needs such as food and medicine. 

Our efforts are responsive to the rapidly-changing context, and mindful of people’s holistic needs—both physical and emotional—at a time of tremendous uncertainty. Our partners on the ground are working tirelessly to provide urgent assistance to people displaced and affected by the war in Gaza.

Working with our partner Catholic Relief Services (CRS), we have been able to assist more than 860,000 people in Gaza, as well as thousands of others across the region.

To date, our partners have provided over 705,000 people with food parcels, and more than 170,000 people with multi-purpose cash assistance. Over 85,000 people have received bedding supplies and more than 13,400 people were assisted with hygiene supplies. Psychosocial support has been provided to over 1,000 children. 

April 7 marked six months since the terrorist attacks which sparked the war on Gaza. During those six months, the world looked on in horror as the Israeli military ceaselessly bombarded the civilian population of Gaza, leaving tens of thousands dead, including over 13,000 children.

We continue to stand in solidarity with the civilians of Gaza and call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and unimpeded access to humanitarian workers. The people in Gaza must be protected, and the violence and suffering must end.  

While international pressure for a ceasefire continues to mount, the Israeli government has given no indication that it plans to end hostilities, and Hamas has given no indication that they will return the remaining hostages in the near future. The situation will continue to be dire for civilians. The work of aid organisations in the region has never been more vital. We will continue to work with our partners to deliver lifesaving aid, and to advocate for our government to do more to ensure a ceasefire is reached. Human suffering must stop.  

Early in 2024, the UN International Court of Justice ordered that Israel must prevent possible acts of genocide in the conflict, but the report fell short of ordering a ceasefire – something humanitarians have repeatedly asserted the people of Gaza desperately need if they are to survive.  

This was followed by the suspension of UNRWA funding from major Western powers following allegations against a handful of UNRWA employees.  

Following these developments Sally Thomas Humanitarian Emergencies Lead at Caritas Australia reflected on the peacekeeping potential of humanitarian aid, stating that “without adequate aid funding the humanitarian crisis will escalate, and more suffering could bring more tension to the Middle East as countries outside of Israel and Gaza react. Conversely, properly administered humanitarian aid that sees innocent civilians safeguarded can play a vital role in de-escalating conflict.” 

Pre-October 7th the Gaza Strip was already one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with 2.2m people living in about 365 square kilometres. 8 in 10 people Gaza were already reliant on international aid. Humanitarian aid has been limited to around 3 per cent of pre-conflict levels, with bombardment having disrupted critical infrastructure. This lack of resources and infrastructure is now worsening the impact of overpopulation in Gaza, as people are forced to crowd together for access to limited necessities such as water, food, healthcare, and toilets.