Gaza Protection Cluster Snapshot

GAZA PROTECTION CLUSTER SNAPSHOT

Protection Monitoring

Reporting period from 1 June – 6 July 2025

INTRODUCTION

The Protection Monitoring System (PMS) continues to provide timely and systematic evidence on protection risks affecting displaced populations across Gaza. Through a combination of Key Informant Interviews (KII) and Focus Group Discussions (FGD), the system captures both quantitative trends and qualitative insights to inform protection analysis and response planning. This snapshot presents an overview of protection risk severity scores, evolving risk trends since the start of monitoring in August 2024, and key protection concerns raised by affected communities during the most recent reporting period.

Methodology

During this reporting period, data collection was conducted through structured interviews with key informants representing diverse community groups and sectors, and through facilitated focus group discussions engaging displaced populations across multiple locations. A central role in data collection was played by the Emergency Protection Responders Network under the umbrella of the Protection Cluster in Gaza, whose trained field teams carried out the majority of KIIs and FGDs, ensuring timely, community-based data collection under challenging field conditions. The data collection tools applied were developed based on the Protection Analytical Framework (PAF), enabling comprehensive monitoring of protection risks aligned with Global Protection Cluster standards.

KEY PROTECTION RISKS IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMUNITIES

• Food Insecurity: Scarcity of essential goods, coupled with skyrocketing prices, makes it difficult for families to secure food, exacerbating the risks of all forms of exploitation and abuse.

• Malnutrition: Insufficient access to food and clean water leads to rising malnutrition rates, particularly among children and pregnant women.

• Lack of Cash Flow: The population face a severe lack of cash, making it difficult to purchase basic necessities. Prices of essential goods, especially food, are rising, making it unaffordable for many families.

• Violence Against Women and Children: High levels of gender-based violence, including harassment and assault, particularly in crowded shelters where privacy is limited.

• Insecure Environments: The continuous attacks on civilian population and the parallel presence of armed groups increase fear and insecurity among the population, especially women and children.

• Trauma from Conflict: Continuous exposure to violence and displacement leads to significant mental health issues, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

• Lack of Mental Health Resources: The conflict has decimated job opportunities, leading to increased poverty and dependence on humanitarian aid.

• High Unemployment Rates: The conflict has decimated job opportunities, leading to increased poverty and reliance on humanitarian aid.

• Poor Sanitation: Overcrowded living conditions and lack of hygiene facilities contribute to health crises, including outbreaks of preventable diseases.

• Recurrent Displacement: Continuous conflict forces families to relocate, disrupting community cohesion and support networks.

• Ongoing Conflict: Constant threats of violence create an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear, hindering recovery efforts.

• Limited Access to Humanitarian Aid: Specific vulnerable groups, such as women headed households, older people and persons with disabilities have limited or no access to humanitarian aid through self-distribution or looting.

• Risks associated with “the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” (GHF) distribution points: Families reported incidents of indiscriminate shooting and killing of civilians in proximity to these points and risking on their youth safety that approach them in search of food parcels as last resort.