Gaza: Key Statistics

• The siege of Gaza began in 2007, locking in 1.8 million Palestinians in a 25 mile strip of land.

• It is one of the most densely populated places in the world, with 5000 people per square kilometre (source).

• The unemployment rate in Gaza now stands at 49% (source).

• 35% of Gaza’s farmland and 85% of its fishing waters are totally or partially inaccessible due to Israeli military measures (source).

• 54% of Gazans are food insecure and over 75% are aid recipients (source).

• A third of children in Gaza know someone who has been killed (source).

• 81% of children in Gaza struggle academically due to conflict-related stress, and 54% of children have no hope for a better future (source).

• Israel imposes sweeping restrictions on the movement of people and goods into and out of the Gaza Strip. A general travel ban excludes only what Israel calls “exceptional humanitarian cases,” meaning mostly medical patients and their companions, as well as prominent businesspersons who can obtain permits.

• In the first nine months of 2019, the army denied or failed to respond in a timely manner to 34% of permit applications from Palestinians with scheduled medical appointments outside Gaza, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The rejection or delay rate for applications for those injured in demonstrations along the fences separating Israel and Gaza is 82% (source).