Humanitarian Access SCORE Report: Gaza – the first six months

Beyond the cost in human lives and suffering, and the instability it brings to the wider region, the war in Gaza has had serious repercussions for international humanitarian law (IHL) and norms around humanitarian access. Since the beginning of the current conflict, precipitated by the attack on Israel by Hamas on 7 October 2023 and followed by a major military offensive by Israel, humanitarian aid for civilians entering Gaza has been far less than what is needed, with hardly any of it reaching the north. Tight restrictions on aid goods, equipment, and personnel allowed to cross into Gaza have severely limited operational capacity for distribution, and there is no protected operational space for humanitarian efforts. More than 30,000 civilian deaths have included over 150 aid workers, an unprecedented number for a single context in such a short period. The mounting scarcity, desperation, and the breakdown of civil order have meant that the small amount of aid coming into Gaza on trucks is often seized before it can be distributed in a safe and principled way. People are now struggling to meet basic survival needs, with the first deaths of children from acute dehydration and malnutrition reported in early March 2024.