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Source: World Food Programme (WFP)	19 September 2014

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Highlights

• WFP is expanding its partnership with UNICEF and HelpAge for emergency assistance in Gaza. WFP and UNICEF are providing vouchers to families which allow them to purchase school uniforms for up to two children per family, while WFP and HelpAge are providing food vouchers to support the specific needs of elderly people in Gaza.
• WFP is supporting UNRWA and UNDP with shelter cluster assessment activities in Gaza through digital data collection and mapping.
• Results from the Multi-Cluster/Sector Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA) show that food insecurity in Gaza has increased due to the high leel of displacement, the inability to access livelihoods and the lack of economic access to food. Data collection for the Emergency Food Security and Agriculture damages Assessment (EFSAA) in Gaza has started this week.
• WFP's regular school meals programme in Gaza has been put on hold for the first semester of the new school year due to a lack of funding. New funds are urgently required.

• Since the start of the new school year in Gaza on 14 September, people that were sheltered in public schools have been relocated while approximately 60,000 people remain sheltered in UNRWA schools.
• The Gaza emergency has resulted in a reversal of seven years of economic growth in Palestine, according to a new World Bank report. Gaza would reportedly see a contraction of up to 15 percent of its economy. This will likely adversely impact food insecurity rates which were already at 57 percent prior to the conflict.

DURING THE CURRENT TRANSITION PERIOD WFP IS PRIORITIZING:

• VOUCHERS: Approximately 50,000 families (or 300,000 people) who are returning home from shelters and host families are receiving WFP electronic food vouchers that will enable them to buy
• food in local markets. To absorb the additional voucher recipients, the number of voucher shops has increased from 60 to 90 shops across the Gaza Strip. The voucher redemption rate during the first half of September stands at 87 percent.
• VOUCHERS FOR ELDERY PEOPLE: WFP and HelpAge have established a new partnership to reach 1,400 elderly people with electronic food vouchers during the months of September and October.
• EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE: WFP and UNRWA are providing ready-to-eat food to approximately 60,000 people who remain in shelters.
• SPECIAL FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS: UNRWA, WFP and partner Global Communities, have completed the distribution of wheat flour and rice to people who do not receive food assistance as part of the regular programmes. The distribution ran between 10 August and 3 September and approximately 620,000 people were reached. This distribution was intended to ensure all families in need in Gaza have basic sustenance during this critical transition period. A total of 1,217 metric tons (mt) of rice and 3,650 mt of wheat flour was distributed.
• EARLY RECOVERY ACTIVITIES: When funding permits, WFP and partners will launch early recovery work activities, including restoring agriculture infrastructure, supported by food vouchers to fill the immediate food gap.

• WFP and Global Communities completed the regular food distribution cycle to 285,000 people in late August, and is working to prepare the next distributions which will take place in October.
• WFP's regular voucher programme, implemented together with Oxfam GB, is ongoing and is targeting 60,000 people. The voucher redemption rate at the start of the third week in September stands at 90 percent.
• The school meals programme in Gaza has been put on hold for the first semester of the new school year due to a lack of funding.

WFP is closely monitoring the food security situation in Gaza, as well as available stocks at voucher shops.

Basic commodities:

• Prices of staple foods are stable due to the deterioration of purchasing power of people in Gaza, and because of the ongoing food assistance via humanitarian organizations.
• All commodities are available at WFP voucher shops.

• Together with humanitarian partners in Palestine, the Food Security Sector (FSS) completed the Multi-Cluster/Sector Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA). The MIRA report is available online: http://foodsecuritycluster.net/ document/gaza-mira-reportsept-2014
• This week the data collection process for the Emergency Food Security and Agriculture damages Assessment (EFSAA) in Gaza has started. Initial findings are expected to be ready by mid-October, while the final report will be released end of November 2014.
• In preparation of the new Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC), the vetting panels are currently being composed. As a first step a new Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) is being prepared and will be ready by the first week of October.

Since the activation of the Logistics Cluster on 30 July, the delivery of more than 7,457 pallets of humanitarian relief items to Gaza via 280 trucks has been coordinated, for a total of 44 humanitarian organizations.

• More than 140 requests have been received by the Logistics Cluster since its activation, transportation requests for items such as water, mattresses, hygiene kits and school bags in preparation for the new school year.
• In the first two weeks of September, the Logistics Cluster through lead agency WFP facilitated the transportation of 1,989 pallets of food, water, sanitation and hygiene items, as well as shelter relief items via 75 trucks on behalf of numerous local and international organizations and the Palestinian Authority.
• Seven weekly coordination meetings have been held since the activation of the cluster.
• To ensure maximum participation, meetings were held simultaneously in three locations, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Gaza City, via a video link.

• WFP requires approximately US$63 million for its emergency humanitarian response in Gaza for a period of three months and a further US$20 million to continue its regular programmes in Gaza and the West Bank.

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