Palestine
1.1 Palestine Humanitarian Background
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Disasters, Conflicts and Migration 

Natural Disasters 

Type 

Occurs 

Comments / Details 

Drought 

No 

- 

Earthquakes 

Yes 

The last big earthquake happened in 1927, and according to the statistics that every 100 year an earthquake hit this area 

Epidemics 

No 

- 

Extreme Temperatures 

Yes 

By the Dead Sea and in the Negev desert, temperatures can during the months of June, July and August reach extreme levels 

Flooding 

Yes 

Small floods 

Insect Infestation 

No 

- 

Mudslides 

No 

- 

Volcanic Eruptions 

No 

- 

High Waves / Surges 

No 

- 

Wildfires 

No 

- 

High Winds 

No 

- 

Man-Made Issues 

Civil Strife 

Yes 

Israeli occupation of Palestinian areas (West Bank and Gaza Strip)

International Conflict 

Yes 

Last international conflict between Israel in Lebanon took place in 2006 - however mainly affecting Israel and not directly Palestine. 

Internally Displaced Persons 

Yes 

About 1,400,000 Palestinian refugees live in the Gaza Strip and about 800,000 in the West Bank 

Refugees Present 

No 

- 

Landmines / UXO Present 

No 

- 

 For more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters 

 Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities

There are not seasonal effects on logistics capacities.

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response 

GOVERNMENT 

The Palestinian Civil Defence (only covering West Bank) will be the main focal entity under the Palestinian Authority. Their capacity is however currently not at a stage where they can coordinate or deliver any assistance to the population which is why WFP and other agencies have initiated a capacity building project with particular emphasis on logistics, emergency telecommunication and information management.  

During any emergency in Palestine, coordination with the Israeli Civil Administration will be crucial in order to ensure humanitarian access.

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Palestine Government Contact List

HUMANITARIAN COMMUNITY 

WFP has past experience with logistics cluster activation in Gaza during 2009 and 2014. Further to WFP's capacity to assist other agencies, UNRWA has their main role on the ground. For the remaining other agencies each one will rely on their capacity and assets in case of a major emergency.  

For more information on humanitarian agency contact details, please see the following link: 4.2 Palestine Humanitarian Agency Contact List

 

 

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