103 UNRWA employees killed in the Gaza war, highest ever in UN history

UNRWA , The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees issued the following report on November 16, 2023:

• In the last 24 hours, one UNRWA colleague was killed due to a strike in the Gaza City area. In total, 103 UNRWA colleagues have been killed since the beginning of hostilities on 7 October. This is the highest number of United Nations aid workers killed in a conflict in the history of the United Nations.
• Two UNRWA schools in the Middle area were directly hit by strikes, resulting in damage to buildings and injuries among the internally displaced people (IDPs) sheltering in one of the schools.
• One UNRWA school in Rafah sustained collateral damage and three IDPs in the school were injured after a strike hit a building nearby.
• Two internally displaced persons were injured due to shrapnel that fell inside an UNRWA school after a building near the school was hit in the Middle area.
• Almost 1.6 million people have been displaced across the Gaza Strip since 7 October.
• Nearly 813,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are now sheltering in 154 UNRWA installations across all five governorates of the Gaza Strip, including in the north.  
• About 653,000 IDPs are sheltering in 97 facilities in the Middle, Khan Younis and Rafah areas. Nearly 160,000 IDPs were sheltering in 57 UNRWA schools in the northern and Gaza areas as of 12 October 2023, before the evacuation order was issued by Israeli Authorities. UNRWA is not able to access these shelters to assist or protect IDPs and does not have information on their needs and conditions.
• Obtaining updated figures and information is becoming increasingly challenging, especially in the Middle area, due to serious communication breakdowns. In some areas, the telecommunications companies have stopped operating. It is expected that communications will start to fail as of Thursday 16 November, when telecommunications companies run out of fuel to operate their data centres and major connection sites.
• On 14 November, UNRWA was not able to receive aid coming through the Rafah crossing due to lack of fuel. As of 14 November, UNRWA has distributed over 870,000 litres of water, 820,000 units of high-energy biscuits, 329,000 tons of canned meats and fish, 300,000 blankets, 218,000 diapers, and crucial medical supplies such as medical supplies and equipment.
• “The situation for many people has become more desperate.” – Thomas White, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza.

The Gaza Strip , overall situation

• According to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, as of 10 November over 11,078 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since 7 October; two thirds of them are reportedly children and women. Due to the collapse in MoH services and communications in the North, casualty data has not been updated for the last four days.
• Overall, around 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel, according to Israeli Authorities, the vast majority on 7 October (OCHA).

UNRWA