UNICEF State of Palestine Situation Assessment Summary Report
Access to Essential Services for Children and Young People with Disabilities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Including East Jerusalem
Highlights
Children and young people with disabilities in the State of Palestine face a profound crisis in access to essential services, driven by conflict, displacement, poverty, fragmented governance, and longstanding gaps in inclusive service delivery. Drawing on evidence from both duty-bearer systems and the lived realities of children with disabilities, caregivers, service providers, and civil society actors, the assessment shows that exclusion is rooted not only in shortages of services, but in the failure of systems to function as connected and accountable pathways.
In the Gaza Strip, the October 2023 war has transformed pre-existing exclusion into near-total disruption of education, health, rehabilitation, protection, and WASH services for many children with disabilities. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, services remain comparatively more established, yet they continue to be uneven, weakly coordinated, and inaccessible for many children living in marginalised or restricted areas.
Across both contexts, legal and policy commitments have yet to translate into consistent implementation. Fragmented and non-interoperable data systems limit the visibility of children with disabilities and weaken planning, coordination, and accountability. The findings point to an urgent need for integrated, disability-inclusive approaches that restore service continuity in the Gaza Strip while strengthening implementation, financing, and oversight in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
