West Bank/Gaza - Palestine Humanitarian Crisis

A Palestinian boy stands on the debris of his family's destroyed house.

Photo by Grayscale Media/2023

Current emergencies

Over two million people are at risk of dying from disease, starvation, and bombardments as the conflict wages on.

How you can help

The scale of suffering and need in Gaza is at a level we have never seen. Your gift reaches innocent women and families surviving war and starvation in Gaza with lifesaving aid.

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About the humanitarian crisis in Gaza

Between October 7, 2023, and June 18, 2025, at least 55,637 Palestinians were killed and 129,880 were injured, with many still missing.

People have no safe place to go and face constant attacks and bombardments. After the ceasefire collapsed on March 18, 2025, air, sea, and ground assaults got even worse across all governorates of Gaza. This resulted in hundreds of casualties, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and large-scale displacement.

Humanitarian organizations struggle to deliver assistance due to the Israeli government’s blockade restricting the entry of humanitarian and commercial supplies. The situation worsens with the killing of humanitarian workers, attacks on aid premises, and severe movement restrictions within Gaza.

Gaza is facing its most severe humanitarian crisis since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023. The situation for 2.2 million people in Gaza is desperate and worsening by the hour. Severe overcrowding at displacement sites and the lack of clean water, sanitation facilities, and basic hygiene items are taking a heavy toll on people, especially women and children. Skin diseases and other infectious diseases are spreading at an alarming rate, underscoring the dire health and humanitarian situation. Food and clean water remain scarce.

Since October 2023, children’s regular immunizations have been disrupted, leaving them susceptible to disease and infection. In July 2024, the first polio case in 25 years was reported — a 10-month-old boy, who is now paralyzed in one leg. The presence of a paralysis case indicates there could be hundreds more people infected but not showing symptoms. During the polio vaccination campaign, CARE, in coordination with UN agencies, provided children with two drops of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2).

How to help West Bank/Gaza – What CARE is doing

CARE has been responding to this emergency since it began. CARE was one of the first international organizations to respond, distributing prepositioned water and medical supplies.

CARE is working in the following areas:

Health: In Gaza, CARE’s primary healthcare center in Deir Al-Balah, which opened last year, continues to provide essential medical services to the community. The center provides prenatal and postnatal care, reproductive health services, nutrition for children under five, primary health for communicable and non-communicable diseases, psychological support, and primary care medications. The clinic also served as one of the polio vaccination sites helping thousands of children get immunized. From March 1, 2025, CARE partner Juzoor deployed a mobile medical team to provide reproductive health services at two centers for internally displaced people in Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis.

In the West Bank, CARE supports the operation of a mobile clinic, in partnership with OCHA and the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS). To address the urgent needs of at-risk communities, the clinic delivers services related to primary healthcare, reproductive health, mental health, and psychosocial support. CARE also works with another mobile clinic offering specialized eye care services in the West Bank.

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH): In Gaza, CARE distributes bottled water and hygiene supplies, trucks water to displacement sites and collective IDP (internally displaced people) centers, installs emergency latrines, repairs water and sanitation infrastructure such as desalination unit, and mobile latrine, provides support for solid waste management, and generates awareness around proper hygiene practices.

Women and Girls: In Gaza, CARE distributes dignity kits and works with other humanitarian actors to ensure that protection for women and girls is integrated into the wider humanitarian strategy.

In the West Bank CARE partners with women-led and women’s rights organizations to ensure women play a central role in humanitarian response. These organizations deliver psychosocial support and protection services to displaced women and children, despite ongoing conflict and movement restrictions. They also engage local committees to promote equitable access to services, strengthen women’s roles in emergency response, and establish clear complaint mechanisms. CARE supports these partners to adapt and sustain their work amid challenging conditions.

Shelter: In Gaza, CARE provides basic shelter materials like bedding, kitchen sets, tents, and tarps to help families rebuild their homes – either directly or through cash assistance for building repairs or rent.

In the West Bank, CARE distributes winter shelter materials to families living in difficult conditions.

Food security and livelihoods: In Gaza, CARE provides food baskets, cash assistance, and individual food rations, depending on access and market availability.

In the West Bank, CARE works with local organizations and authorities, and the UN to deliver urgent support to families facing conflict and hardship. CARE provides food parcels to at-risk households, including those displaced from their communities, help farmers restore their greenhouses with essential agricultural supplies. CARE also assists herders with essential livestock inputs such as high-protein fodder and milk powder.

Speaking out: CARE reiterates its call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire, the free flow of humanitarian aid into and across Gaza, the evacuation of the sick and wounded, and the release of all hostages.

We need your help to provide lifesaving assistance to the people affected by this devastating conflict. With your support, we can help meet urgent humanitarian needs.

CARE has worked in Gaza since 1948, and we have trusted and well-established local partnerships across the region.

*Last updated June 2025