Hebron.. The government is moving and humanitarian needs precede the response

Hebron - Ofoq News - Official and local efforts continue to deal with the repercussions of forced displacement to which families are exposed to in the city of Hebron, in light of the expansion of humanitarian needs and the difficulty of field conditions, while the most prominent challenge remains to transform government directives and announced movements into a concrete response that keeps pace with the needs of those affected.

While the government announced moves to follow up on the conditions of citizens and meet their emergency needs, local institutions and the Support and Relief Committee continue to work on assessing the damage, registering affected families, and distributing aid, in a task that is becoming increasingly difficult with the continuation of the military operation and Israeli measures that forced hundreds of families to leave their homes.

The delay in the impact of the response does not necessarily mean the absence of government action, in light of the security, political and financial complexities surrounding the crisis, but it does put the concerned authorities before the challenge of accelerating procedures and providing the necessary capabilities, to ensure that support reaches families facing difficult humanitarian conditions.

619 families affected... and 266 families without a safe place

The announced numbers reflect the scale of the crisis facing the affected families in Hebron Governorate. According to the latest data update, on Monday evening, the number of families registered with the Support and Relief Committee emanating from the governorate reached 619 families, including 3,971 individuals.

The data shows that 283 families reside with relatives, while 266 families do not have a safe place, while 47 families reside in other places, and 23 families live in rented homes.

The committee continues its meetings and field work around the clock, as a comprehensive framework that coordinates the efforts of governmental, security, health, civil society and international institutions, in addition to the private sector and governorate activities.

The specialized teams work to communicate directly with the families, update their data, inventory their needs, follow up on their requests, and distribute aid according to priorities and actual needs, in parallel with inventorying the damage to property.

The committee announced that the aid distributed represents the first batch within the humanitarian response plan, stressing the continuation of distribution and follow-up operations in coordination with the relevant institutions.

These efforts indicate that the field response has already begun, but it is taking place in the face of broad and changing needs, which makes its continuation and expansion dependent on the availability of resources and the ability to reach affected families.

The Prime Minister directs to harness the capabilities

At the governmental level, last Saturday, Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa made two phone calls with the Governor of Hebron, Khaled Dodin, and the Mayor of Hebron, Youssef Al-Jaabari, to learn about the conditions of citizens and follow up on their needs in light of the forced evictions that affected hundreds of citizens, the majority of whom were women, children, the elderly, and the sick.

Mustafa instructed the competent authorities to harness the available capabilities to meet the emergency needs of citizens and strengthen their steadfastness, in addition to intensifying international movements and communications to pressure to stop the escalating Israeli attacks.

This directive places the relevant authorities responsible for translating the decision into practical measures, at a time when humanitarian needs are increasing and require continuous efforts to secure assistance and provide safe accommodation requirements for families who have lost their homes or been forced to leave them.

Hussein Al-Sheikh: Measures to protect and empower citizens

In a related context, Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh confirmed that President Mahmoud Abbas is closely following developments in the events in Hebron, stressing that the President instructed the Prime Minister to take the necessary measures to protect citizens, empower them, and alleviate the burden of what they are exposed to.

These assurances come in light of the escalating needs in Hebron, adding to the government’s announced directives regarding harnessing the available capabilities to confront the humanitarian repercussions.

Local efforts in confronting a crisis that exceeds capabilities

On the ground, the Hebron Governorate, the Support and Relief Committee, and the participating institutions, including ministries and civil and national institutions, bear the direct burden of following up on the affected families, determining their needs, and coordinating the distribution of aid.

These efforts are important in providing an initial response to families who were forced to leave their homes, but they face the challenge of expanding and changing needs, at a time when local initiatives alone cannot guarantee a comprehensive and sustainable response.

This stage requires continuous coordination between the government, the governorate, the municipality, and civil and international institutions, in addition to providing the necessary resources and setting priorities according to actual needs, in order to prevent the widening of the gap between the scale of the crisis and the institutions’ ability to deal with it.

From directions to results

As the military operation continues and the number of affected families increases, the response in Hebron faces a double test: providing urgent assistance on the one hand, and ensuring the institutions’ ability to continue their work on the other hand, under complex security, political and financial circumstances.

The Relief Committee starting to distribute the first batch of aid indicates the start of the field response, while the numbers reveal the extent of the needs that still exist, especially since 266 families, according to the announced data, do not have a safe place to stay.