2022 Humanitarian Response Plan for Gaza and West Bank
4. RESPONSE AND CHALLENGES
The Protection Cluster seeks to address the most urgent protection
concerns in Gaza identified through the MSNA analysis, and extensive
research and documentation carried out by protection partners. The most
urgent needs range from the ongoing human rights and IHL concerns arising
from military occupation, and ongoing escalations of violence and tension,
to those driven by longstanding Israeli policies and practices, or caused by
compounded risks associated with deteriorating living standards and
COVID-19. The Protection Cluster Objectives in the oPt HRP 2022 are as
follows:
* Objective 1: Increased respect for International Humanitarian Law
(IHL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and accountability
for violations
* Objective 2: Ensuring protection response mechanisms are in place
to prevent and mitigate the compounded risks arising from the
occupation and conflict related violence, and the impacts of
COVID19
The Protection Cluster and the GBV, CP/MHPSS and LTF AoRs work closely
with partners and authorities, enhancing their capacity to ensure inclusion
of those in need of protection. Across the various responses, the cluster has
prioritized the inclusion of persons with disability. Protection
Mainstreaming interventions particularly aim at bolstering meaningful
access for persons with disabilities, and with a focus on introducing effective
safeguards to protect people against stigma and discrimination across the
humanitarian response. For the 2022 HRP, the Protection Cluster and its
partners made efforts to address accessibility barriers, including developing
a disability inclusion checklist. Some remote work modalities, adapted to
the ongoing constraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic continues in line
with global minimum standards.
The Protection Cluster prioritizes interventions that address protection risks
arising from the threats described above which have intensified and
continue unabated over the past year. As underscored by persistent
escalations in violence and use of force resulting in injuries and killings and
arbitrary arrests and detention.
Movement and access restrictions of both people and goods in and out of
Gaza continues to undermine access to basic services, health care,
economic and social development as well as hinder the ability of protection
organizations to provide support.
Combined these factors have dire consequences on mental health of all
Palestinians and GBV and child protection concerns overloading protection
services. Particularly impacted are women, children and persons living with
disabilities, forcing vulnerable households to adopt negative coping
strategies and increasing burdens on female headed households in
particular
Disability Inclusion: There is an urgent need to provide technical support on
disability inclusion to all humanitarian partners, specialized responses for
persons with disabilities and inclusive messaging and awareness raising
materials.
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