The war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group, Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah (Hamas), continues to escalate.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between October 7th and 15th, 2023, the war has caused approximately 4,000 deaths and 14,300 injuries on both sides. The majority of casualties are Palestinian.
In addition to the thousands of lives lost, the war has forced approximately one million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to flee their homes, due to destruction, lack of water and food, or fear.
OCHA reports that approximately 423,000 refugees were in the Gaza Strip between October 7th and 12th, 2023. By October 14th, 2023, this number had increased by an estimated 600,000, overwhelming many refugee camps.
"Many refugees are sleeping outdoors due to lack of space, including vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, those requiring medical attention, people with disabilities, and pregnant women," stated OCHA in its report on Sunday, October 15th, 2023.
"Water, food, and medicine are severely limited. Frustration and tension among refugees are increasing due to these dire conditions," it continued.
Amidst this situation, only a few countries have provided assistance through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
UNRWA is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that serves the needs of Palestinian refugees.
According to their reports, between October 8th and 15th, 2023, four countries provided a total of US$26.91 million (approximately Rp422.7 billion, assuming an exchange rate of Rp15,709 per US$).
The largest donor was the United Arab Emirates (UAE), followed by Jordan and Kuwait. Scottish aid remains a commitment, with details as shown in the graph.
This humanitarian aid is far from sufficient to meet the total needs.
OCHA estimates that currently, approximately 1.3 million Palestinians require urgent assistance, and the total amount of aid needed is US$294 million (approximately Rp4.6 trillion).