30 The <strong>National</strong> <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Recovery</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Reconstruction</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Gaza</strong> <strong>2014</strong> SECTION 3: GAZA RAPID ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGES AND NEEDS 2009 - <strong>2014</strong> Density Comparison of destroyed <strong>and</strong> severely damaged structures in gaza
31 3.1 Social Sector Seven weeks of bombardment, seven years of blockade, <strong>and</strong> 25 years of movement restrictions have taken their toll on Palestinians living in <strong>Gaza</strong>. Social services, including health <strong>and</strong> education, are overstretched by historical weaknesses <strong>and</strong> new losses. Poverty, food insecurity, <strong>and</strong> social vulnerability have rocketed as a result of the mass displacement <strong>and</strong> destruction of the population. Many households in <strong>Gaza</strong> can no longer live without external assistance, putting additional pressure on the social protection system. 3.1.1 Social Protection <strong>and</strong> Social Safety Nets Prior to the Assault Decades of border restrictions <strong>and</strong> repeated assaults have destroyed livelihood opportunities <strong>and</strong> left most families in <strong>Gaza</strong> highly vulnerable to further shocks. Eighty percent of people in <strong>Gaza</strong> depend on social assistance, while social transfers (both cash <strong>and</strong> in-kind) have become an important source of income <strong>for</strong> the majority of households, accounting <strong>for</strong> approximately 16 percent of total household consumption overall <strong>and</strong> 31 percent among the poorest households prior to the assault. Some 72 percent of people were either food insecure or vulnerable to food insecurity, even when taking into account UN food distributions to almost 1.1 million people. For as long as the closure continues, levels of food insecurity will remain high. Impact of the Assault <strong>Gaza</strong> families have shown marked resilience to these stresses, drawing upon their extended community networks to provide in<strong>for</strong>mal safety nets. However, the aftermath of this assault will strain those remarkable networks, as food prices soar, new families fall into poverty, <strong>and</strong> others are pushed further down. Greater food insecurity now exists, exacerbated by massive displacement, destruction in the agriculture/fishery sector, lack of cooking gas, fuel, <strong>and</strong> cooking utensils, <strong>and</strong> limited access to water. Thous<strong>and</strong>s of households have lost income sources (due to the death, disabling, or unemployment of workers) <strong>and</strong> homes (with tens of thous<strong>and</strong>s of houses destroyed or damaged). Some 1,500 children have lost one or both parents. Over 1,000 newly injured people will be permanently disabled, creating greater social <strong>and</strong> financial responsibility on their family <strong>and</strong> social safety nets. Psychosocial trauma is widespread, making recovering from loss a longer process <strong>for</strong> all, particularly children, bereaved families, <strong>and</strong> inhabitants of the most impacted neighborhoods.
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