1. law, govt and politics
2. legal issues
3. human rights

The Social, Humanitarian and Cultural
Affairs Committee
Topic A: Refugee Camp Conditions
Topic B: Humanitarian Aid on the Gaza Strip
Chair: Ruhi Bhaidani
Vice Chair: Nicole Antony
Moderator: Olivia Landsman
[email protected].
Glenbrook South Model United Nations
Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Affairs Committee
Chair: Ruhi Bhaidani
April 25
Letter from the Chair:
Hello Delegates!
My name is Ruhi Bhaidani and I will be your SOCHUM chair for the first Model
United Nations conference at Glenbrook South! I welcome you to challenge yourselves
in creating effective solutions for our two topics. As for a little about myself, I am
currently a senior at Glenbrook South and this is my third year doing Model UN. I
absolutely love anything with chocolate, eating lots of labne almost as much as I love
playing water polo and strumming my guitar, petunia. The Social, Humanitarian, and
Cultural Affairs committee deals with human right concerns and ways in which to
address them, and I am excited to get to know you as a delegate and what you can
bring to committee. MUN was a huge catalyst in my life as it encourages me to think
beyond the single vision model of local understanding I have grown up with and
towards a broader spectrum of ideas, issues, and relations. I hope you will get the
same experience! If you have any questions or concerns you can contact me at
[email protected].
Sincerely,
Ruhi Bhaidani
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Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Affairs Committee
Chair: Ruhi Bhaidani
April 25
Topic A: Refugee Camp Conditions
Introduction
As of 2013 there are 51.2 million refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced people
(IDPs) around the world, and that number is only on the rise. According to the head of the United
Nation’s refugee agency, António Guterres, “We are witnessing a quantum leap in forced
displacement in the world.” A figure above 50 million refugees has not been seen since the second
world war (Sherwood, Harriet), and is among the international community’s deep concerns.
Considering the sheer amount of displaced peoples around the world today, it is imperative to
ensure that there are proper living environments in refugee camps.
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Refugees are defined as people who are forced to flee their homes due to persecution, whether
on an individual basis or as part of a mass exodus due to political, religious, military or other
problems (Refugees, Human Rights Education Associates). According to Amnesty International, there
are six refugee rights that must be met: protection from being forcibly returned to a place where they
would be at risk of persecution, protection from discrimination, protection from penalties for illegal
entry, the right to work, housing and education, the right to freedom of movement, the right to
identify and travel documents (Who Is a Refugee? | Amnesty International). But the reality is that
many refugee camps hold hundreds of thousands of people in conditions that are difficult to live in,
and for the six million refugees that are predicted to spend an average of 17 years in these camps
(these refugees are classified by the UNHCR to be “protracted”) it can be unfathomable. Food and
water supplies are often scarce, disease is rampant, and seldom are refugees allowed to leave from
the camps ("How Safe Are Refugee Camps? | Factsheets | Go Back to Where You Came From | SBS).
These problems are universal across most refugee camps from Ethiopia to Bangladesh. It is up to you,
as delegates in the third committee of the United Nation’s General Assembly, also known as the
Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM) to create a sustainable, effective, and
efficient plan to ensure that human rights are met across all refugee camps.
History of the Problem
The history of refugee camps is varied, but those facing some of the most severe humanitarian
crisis’ tell a similar tale of being set up to serve for short amounts of time. Yet in reality, these camps
have often been utilized for over a decade. A key refugee camp whose conditions are ideal to
examine in committee, is the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. Some other refugee camps with
conditions that must be examined are the Mae La refugee camp in Thailand, Zaatari refugee camp in
Jordan, Tamil Nadu State in India, Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, and the Kungi refugee
camp in Pakistan (Shah, Saeed). Beginning with Dadaab, the camp is located in an arid region of
Eastern Kenya by the Somali border. Originally the three Dadaab camps were created in 1991 to host
up to 190,000 refugees from the Somali civil war, but now hold over 463,000 refugees as of 2012
(“Dadaab - World’s Biggest Refugee Camp 20 Years Old.” UNHCR). The numbers in the camp have
increased as second and third generation refugees have been born and the 2011 famine in Somalia.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in conjunction with the government
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of Kenya and multiple non-governmental organizations, such as the Center for Victims of Torture
(CVT), have strived to create and sustain the camps over the years ("Dadaab - World's Biggest
Refugee Camp 20 Years Old." UNHCR). CVT in particular works with refugees themselves who have
suffered from conditions such as PTSD, yet in
the majority of refugee camps are not
provided with proper treatment (“Dadaab,
Kenya.” Home. The Center for Victims of
Torture). Historically food and water
shortages have plagued the camp due to
heavy deforestation, and subsequently soil
erosion of already infertile soil due to its
location have also been major sources of
problems in the camps (2-21 - Socio-Economic
Impact of Refugees on the Areas Neighboring
Camps: A Case Study of Kenya's Refugee Camps.). Crime and domestic violence have also been
difficult to overcome in the camps on account of increased poverty (Allen, 5).
One of the biggest challenges facing Dadaab over the years has been the militarization of
members of the camp as demonstrated by the 2009 accusation of the Kenyan government by Human
Rights Watch of supporting recruitment drives among refugees in the camps to fight in Somalia’s
army. Somalia’s Shabab, a terrorist organization, has similarly been trying to recruit amongst
refugees. Young men and boys were lured with false promises of pay for recruitment of both of the
aforementioned activities. A reason for this may be that people in Dadaab have been stuck there for a
long time; 6,000 of the current refugees in Dadaab are third-generation refugees on the account of
stagnation. Dadaab is also a settlement cut off from the national grid and relies on boreholes for
water. Most of its residents also lack transit papers to travel into the rest of Kenya (Kron, Josh). The
utopian refugee camp has been historically a difficult standard to maintain for many of the countries
to which refugees were imposed upon. A common trend of violence has been observed to follow
many of those seeking refuge, as those in exile are often forced into close proximity with many rebel
groups such as Shabab and have hope that has been diminished over generations, thus continuing the
cycle of poverty (White, Gavin D).
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Current Situation
Shortages of food, water, and space still remain at the core of all refugee issues. The majority of
refugee camps do not have sufficient food resources so they rely almost entirely on humanitarian aid.
The UNHCR recommends that each refugee receives more than 2,100 calories per day, but most
camps fall short of this figure. A 1987 study in the largest refugee camp on the Thai side of the
Thailand-Cambodia border found that 30% of the population was chronically malnourished and in
2006, a UNHCR and WFP review discovered extremely
high rates of acute malnutrition in many refugee campsmost notably in Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan. The already
low caloric intake of refugees is further lowered because
many refugees tend to sell the food they receive in order
to obtain other goods such as cloth as well as the food
received is low in nutrition, often causing vitamin
deficiencies which lead to diseases such as blindness
(vitamin A deficiency) and malnutrition makes individuals more susceptible to disease. Ways in
which refugees have dealt with this issue can be clearly seen in Bangladesh where refugees use
farming patches to enhance the food they eat, but most refugee camps prohibit agriculture of any sort
as the camp itself is only meant to be temporary (Module 3: Food, Water, Sanitation, and Housing in
Refugee Camps). The issue with food aid is that it can wreak havoc on the economy of the nation the
refugee camp is located in as it can decrease the value of local farmers’ produce, thus making
sustainable development impossible. Food aid has also been known to significantly increase violence
as it can be traded by the receiving government for arms and money. Also food distribution biases
such as giving more food to those who help a certain political interest or have a particular
background has often been seen with food aid (Module 9: Food Aid Program Development).
The UNHCR also believes over half of the world’s refugee camps do not provide its peoples
with the minimum of 20 liters of water per day, which can lead to severe dehydration as well as put
refugees more at risk for diseases such as cholera. Currently, in northern Jordan, which hosts the
largest number of Syrian refugees, water shortages have spiked. Hospitals and schools don’t have
enough water to maintain sanitation standards, and Mosques cannot perform the necessary daily
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ablutions; all significant problems for refugee camps (Water Scarcity and the Syrian Refugee Crisis).
These issues associated with water shortages are also linked to a lack of sanitation: The UNHCR
estimates that around 30 per cent of camps do not have adequate waste disposal systems (Water,
Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
Education is also a necessity for refugee camps as it brings about a sense of normality back into
the lives of affected youth, teaches sanitation (an issue faced by most refugee camps on account of
lack of education and space), and plays a fundamental role in breaking the confinement and the cycle
of poverty many refugees live in. About 19.5 million children are considered refugees or IDPs. The
issue is that schools are unable to accommodate children from other learning systems, with different
languages,accents and abilities, Camps often face a shortage of qualified teachers and must recruit
among the camp population (ie many teachers have not been trained past the primary level), and
large class sizes (Dadaab currently has 100 students per teacher). Other issues involving education in
refugee camps are that displaced families often do not have money for school fees or other costs,
parents do not send their kids to school as they fear for their security, children who lack educational
opportunities are at increased risk for recruitment as child soldiers, criminal activity, forced labor and
exploitation. There is also usually no system to track the progress of education ( Educating Refugees
and IDPs).
Possible Solutions
Knowing that the concept of refugee camps is “at best problematic, and at worst
dehumanizing and dangerous” (Seeley, Nicholas). The same problems that start refugee camps
hinder its improvements consisting of, but not limited to: natural disasters, poverty, the effects of
climate change, scarcity of resources, political instability, and weak governance and justice systems.
When extreme circumstances are unavoidable and result in refugee camps, people are not granted all
basic human rights. Universal approaches to ameliorating the condition of one of the world’s most
vulnerable can not be used for Regardless of natural or conflict-induced displacement, bettering
refugee camps is a delicate issue that decides the fate of geographically traumatized people. The
International Humanitarian Law provisions has set forth “basic rules of war” which protect civilians
to greater extents than before. Children and civilians are better protected against the horrors of war
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although still sometimes forced to leave the given conditions. In cases where populations were either
voluntarily or forcefully displaced, the current repercussions of integration/reintegration must be
improved. Ideas like further provisions to IDP laws grant more recognition by the authorities of the
right to property, public services, and sometimes compensation. It could include encouraging the
relevant authorities to clear land contaminated with mines and explosive remnants of war, forego
further use of such weapons, and conduct mine-risk education programmes (Kellenberger, Jacob).
In terms of improvements in education, Sakena Yacoobi, is an exemplary model for her work
in Afghani camps in Pakistan. Yacoobi was an Afghan Muslim woman who established the Afghan
Institute of Learning and educated 3,800 girls in underground schools with strict rules so as to
encourage parents to send students and discourage militant groups (ie the Taliban) from having
access to students(Module 4: Children and Education in Refugee Camps). Part of the reason why it
worked was because she was an Afghani on the ground rather than a foreign worker promoting
education in the camps. Wells as well as a method of food aid which would not disrupt the current
economy of the nation, are also important factors to consider when creating solutions.
Women, children, and the elderly are at the highest risk within refugee camps and for this
reason their needs should be adequately addressed. According to the UNHCR, women currently in
refugee camps are desperately in need of: proper refugee documentation, access to education, access
to training and income-generating activities, access to own or lease property, access to social services,
and information about the medical consequences of harmful traditional practices (e.g. female genital
mutilation). Refugee children are heavily protected under the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the
Child (CRC) which protects all refugees 18 and under. The CRC protects the children’s families and
aims at encouraging participation in the community, nondiscrimination, as well as provides all
protections from health and education to social and political rights. The elderly is the group most
vulnerable to social disintegration and chronic dependency. It is imperative for this committee to
create solutions to solve issues regarding the elderly in refugee camps by addressing: the lack of
information about rights, entitlements and claims procedures; lack of access to important
documentation, especially
documents left behind in the country of origin; lack of mobility; and medical and health care
necessities (Protecting Refugees).
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April 25
Questions to Consider
● How should the committee address living space considering the increasing numbers of people
in refugee camps?
● What measures should the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee take to ensure the
demilitarization of camps in conflict areas?
● How can the committee ensure the stability of water resources and increased sanitation among
camps?
● How can your country aid refugees living in such conditions?
● What actions should the committee take to ensure that all six of Amnesty International’s
refugee rights are met as well as the International Humanitarian Law provisions?
● Should refugee camps be fundamentally restructured in the way they operate, or should small
changes be made?
Bloc Positions
States which currently hold refugee camps: States like Kenya, Pakistan, Jordan, India Uganda, Tanzania,
Ethiopia, and Chad fall into this category. Many of these refugee camps are quite large and are the
resultants of large scale conflicts in other, surrounding, nations. Due to size and location, many of
these camps have refugees which do not have adequate space, food, water, education, and oftentimes
have members with PTSD who do not get proper treatment.
States that generate refugees: States such as Colombia, Afghanistan, The Central African Republic,
Syria,The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Cambodia, South Sudan, and Sri Lanka fall
into this category. These nations have either created several refugees in the past or are in the process
of creating refugees. Many of these nations also have several IDPs due to conflict and must work to
not only effectively reduce the flow of refugees from their nations to others, but to ensure that the
necessities of IDPs are being met.
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States that provide relief: States such as the United States, Canada, Ecuador, the United Kingdom,
Argentina, and Brazil fall into this category. These nations oftentimes provide aid to refugee camps as
well as asylum for people within refugee camps. Be familiar with the policies of your nation towards
assisting refugees and how they have been implemented.
Helpful Resources
● http://www.un.org/en/ga/third/
● http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646cef.html
● http://www.un.org/ha/general.htm
● http://www.basiced.org/wpcontent/uploads/Factsheets/Educating_Refugees_and_IDPs.pdf
● http://www.uniteforsight.org/refugee-health/module4
Works Cited
"10 Largest Refugee Camps in the World - BORGEN." BORGEN. N.p., n.d. Web.
<http://www.borgenmagazine.com/ten-largest-refugee-camps-world/>.
Sherwood, Harriet. "Global Refugee Figure Passes 50m for First Time since Second World
War." Theguardian.com. The Guardian, n.d. Web.
<http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2014%2Fjun%2F20%2Fglo
bal-refugee-figure-passes-50-million-unhcr-report>.
"Refugees." Refugees. Human Rights Education Associates, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=153>.
"Who Is a Refugee? | Amnesty International." Who Is a Refugee? | Amnesty International. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.amnesty.org/en/refugees-and-migrants/rights-of-refugees-and-migrants>.
"How Safe Are Refugee Camps? | Factsheets | Go Back to Where You Came From | SBS." How
Safe Are Refugee Camps? | Factsheets | Go Back to Where You Came From | SBS. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.
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<http://www.sbs.com.au/goback/about/factsheets/6/how-safe-are-refugee-camps>.
"Dadaab Refugee Camp." Boston.com. The New York Times, 12 Aug. 2011. Web. 16
Nov. 2014.
<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/08/the_horn_of_africa_dadaab_refu.html
>
Shah, Saeed. "Thousands Stuck in Camps of No Return." Theguardian.com. The Guardian, n.d.
Web.
<http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2008%2Foct%2F26%2Fpakista
n-afghanistan>.
"Dadaab - World's Biggest Refugee Camp 20 Years Old." UNHCR. N.p., n.d. Web.
<http%3A%2F%2Fwww.unhcr.org%2F4f439dbb9.html>.
"Dadaab, Kenya." Home. The Center for Victims of Torture, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.cvt.org/where-we-work/africa/dadaab-kenya>.
"12-21 - Socio-Economic Impact of Refugees on the Areas Neighboring Camps: A Case Study
of Kenya's Refugee Camps." 12-21 - Socio-Economic Impact of Refugees on the Areas
Neighboring Camps: A Case Study of Kenya's Refugee Camps. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov.
2014. <http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/call/docs/12-21/ch_6.asp>.
Allen, 5. Harboring or Protecting? Militarized Refugees, State Responsibility, and the Evolution
of Self-Defense (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
Kron, Josh. "Somalia’s Wars Swell a Refugee Camp in Kenya." The New York Times. The New
York Times, 11 Nov. 2010. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/world/africa/12dadaab.html?_r=0>.
White, Gavin D. A Failure of Protection: Refugee Camps and the Proliferation of Conflict.
(n.d.): n. pag. Web.
"South Sudan: Water Shortages Hit Crisis Point in Refugee Camps." South Sudan: Water
Shortages Hit Crisis Point in Refugee Camps. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
<https://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/update/2012/south-sudan-update-20129-20.htm>.
"Module 3: Food, Water, Sanitation, and Housing in Refugee Camps." Food, Water, Sanitation,
and Housing in Refugee Camps. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.uniteforsight.org/refugee-health/module3>.
"Water Scarcity and the Syrian Refugee Crisis." Mercy Corps. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.mercycorps.org/articles/jordan/water-scarcity-and-syrian-refugee-crisis>.
"Module 9: Food Aid Program Development." Food Aid Program Development. N.p., n.d.
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Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.uniteforsight.org/effective-program-development/module9>.
"Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)." UNHCR News. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646cef.html>.
”, -., and A Female Refugee From Darfur To Chad,. Educating Refugees and IDPs (n.d.): n. pag.
Basic Education Coalition. Web.
<http://www.basiced.org/wp-content/uploads/Factsheets/Educating_Refugees_and_IDPs.
pdf>.
Seeley, Nicholas. "The Last Refugee Camp." Foreign Policy. N.p., n.d. Web.
<http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foreignpolicy.com%2Farticles%2F2013%2F10%2F30%2Fthe_
last_refugee_camp>.
Kellenberger, Jacob. "Root Causes and Prevention of Internal Displacement: The ICRC
Perspective." Root Causes and Prevention of Internal Displacement: The ICRC
Perspective. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
<https://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/statement/displacement-statement-23100
9.htm>.
"Module 4: Children and Education in Refugee Camps." Children and Education in Refugee
Camps. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.uniteforsight.org/refugee-health/module4>.
Protecting Refugees. Geneva 2 (P.O. Box 2500, 1211): UNHCR, Media Relations and Public
Information Service, 2006. Web.
<http://www.unhcr.or.jp/protect/pdf/ProtectingRefugees-FieldGuideforNGOs.pdf>.
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Topic B: Humanitarian Aid in the Gaza Strip
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Introduction
Despite the recent ceasefire in the region, humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip remain
enormous. Gaza has faced the destruction of necessary infrastructure such as water systems,
sanitation, and health services on account of recent violence between Hamas and Israel. More than
100,000 civilians have had their homes destroyed in Gaza, and 25 percent of the population (roughly
450,000 people) has no access to running water and little to no access to electricity. In addition,
several schools, farms and businesses have been destroyed. These issues have been amplified by
Israel’s current blockade on Gaza’s coast which has destroyed Gaza’s economy, restricts people from
leaving the strip (which has led to decreased access to education and health services and has split
Gazans from their family in Israel, the West Bank, and other Arab nations), lowered Gaza’s exports,
reduced the construction industry, and has led to rampant unemployment with 70 percent of the
youth without jobs ("Crisis in Gaza." Oxfam International).
The recent conflict has led to the deaths of 2,191 peoples, 75.7 percent or which were civilians
(approximately 1,660 peoples, 527 of which were children) and 10,895 civilians wounded, 30.3 percent
of which were children (Palestinian Center for Human Rights). The third committee of the United
Nation’s General Assembly, also known as the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee is in
place to ensure the advancement of women, the protection of children, indigenous issues, the
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treatment of refugees, the elimination of racism, and the promotion of human rights (SOCHUM –
Social, Humanitarian & Cultural Committee). The Gaza Strip is in dire need for humanitarian aid, and as
such it is the job of you, as members of SOCHUM to create an efficient and effective plan for its
civilians.
History
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The recent conflict has been Gaza’s third since 2008 (Filiu, Jean-pierre). To fully understand why
humanitarian aid is a necessity in the area, it is imperative one understands its history first. The Gaza
Strip has long been the center of geopolitical conflict throughout history, but the issues concerning
the land today can be traced back to a little less than a century ago, 1948. The region of Gaza is 25
miles long and seven miles wide, yet remains as one of the most over populated places in the world.
After World War II, the partitioning of the original
British Mandate of Palestine (established by the League
of Nations after World War I) into separate Jewish and
Arab states led to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The
resultant of the war was a massive displacement of
Palestinian peoples, and the original territories, under
the British Mandate of Palestine, of the West Bank and
the Gaza Strip were given to Jordan and Egypt,
respectively. Israel reoccupied the strip as a result of the
Six Day War against the Arab states in 1967. Gaza, along
with the West Bank, remained under Israeli occupation
and control for 30 years. The first organized Palestinian
uprising, also known as “intifada”, occurred in 1987 and
quickly caught fire, establishing the political party, Hamas, as an extension of the Muslim
Brotherhood Organization. Hamas denounced Israel’s presence in the region and demanded a
Palestinian Islamic state in its place. Hamas in recent years has, however, stated that they are willing
to seek truce with Israel and cites Israel's continued occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem
as reasons for its attacks on the Jewish state ("Gaza-Israel Conflict: Is the Fighting Over?" BBC News
Middle East).The 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)
brought back control of parts of Gaza and the West Bank in exchange for a stemming of the
violence.But the PLO’s inability to stop attacks from groups like Hamas against Israel combined with
Israel refusing to dismantle remaining settlements deconstructed the accords and led to the second
Intifada in 2000.
Hamas remains a popular group within the Palestinian territories as seen in the 2006
parliamentary elections when it won 74 out of 132 seats, leading to Fatah controlling the West Bank
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and the more militant Hamas in Gaza. Israel then put a blockade on Gaza, which is still in existence,
to suffocate its economy. This blockade has led to humanitarian issues as it prevents Gazans from
leaving, and goods and aid from entering the strip. Israel continued its blockade and in response
Hamas sent mortar hits. On December 19, 2008, an increase in Hamas rockets caused Israel to step up
the blockage, which then on December 26, 2008, led to a massive bombardment of Gaza which killed
close to 1,000 Palestinians in the strip. Those who suffered were mostly Gazan civilians (Fetini,
Alyssa).
The most recent conflict, in the summer of 2014 began on July eighth when Israel launched
Operation Protective Edge in Response to Hamas launching rockets towards Israel, which was
largely protected due to its “Iron Dome”. Because Gaza did not have the benefit of having a
protective device such as the Iron Dome, many deaths occurred as mentioned in the introduction.
Israel was criticized for shelling schools, some even United Nations sponsored that were sheltering
civilians who had received warnings to leave home, which were thought to hold Hamas rockets.
Several medical facilities, hospitals, and other vital infrastructure were destroyed during the attack
which came to a conclusion within 50 days with a ceasefire created in Egypt on August 26th ("Having
to Rebuild Gaza, Again." The New York Times).
Current Situation
A quarter of Gaza’s population (500,000 people) are internally displaced as a result of the
conflict. Approximately 300,000 are sheltered
in 85 UNRWA schools, and the rest in other
housing arrangements. Many of the displaced
population is unable to return home on
account of destruction ("Gaza Emergency
UNRWA." UNRWA). The aforementioned
scarcity of water is a result of broken pipelines,
rubble, and contaminated aquifers, leaving
many without water. Over 100,000 Palestinians
in Gaza have had their homes destroyed
beyond repair The high civilian fatality rate, the shelling of hospitals and schools, and the killing of
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humanitarian aid workers and on-duty medical personnel and electricity, water and waste water
technicians has led the average civilian in Gaza to have a significantly decreased quality of life. The
people of Gaza now are in dire need of health assistance, food assistance, water provisions, hygiene
kits, and basic household items (European Commission for Humanitarian Aid and
Civil Protection).
Each of the clashes between Hamas and Israel, including the most recent, has led to a huge
amount of children now orphaned in Gaza and thousands of Palestinian children in the strip unable
to receive adequate education. Some classrooms are so crammed for space that, “three children share
each desk,” ("OPT: Thousands Missing out on Education in Gaza." IRINnews). Education is
imperative as it provides a way out of the cycle of poverty many in Gaza face and a release from the
bleak surroundings the children find themselves immersed in (Education in the Gaza Strip |
UNRWA). 244 schools have been damaged on account of the recent violence and many schools left
are often in some ways destroyed in structure, but it is almost impossible to repair them on account
of the blockade still in place on Gaza’s border ("Gaza's Destroyed Schools Flooded." Middle East
Monitor). Gaza has one of the highest literacy rates in the region (95 percent as compared to the
regional 77 percent) and education is highly valued, yet its continuation may not be entirely possible,
and with more than 370,000 children being affected by the conflict to a major capacity, one in five
children in Gaza are said to have severe cases of PTSD, schools may serve as the only safe haven for
these children ("8 Things You Need to Know About Gaza." UNICEF USA).
Possible Solutions
Re-establishing infrastructure and creating shelters to reduce casualties are two factors which
are imperative in ensuring that the damage fared by Gaza in this encounter will not occur again. Yet
neither are possible without some sort of opening in the blockade for the people of Gaza to receive
aid and materials to rebuild their infrastructure and economy. One method of getting around the
blockade without fundamentally harming Israel’s security demands is to establish an international
zone near Gaza which would include a seaport, desalination plants, solar farms, a hospital, and a
small airport ("International Humanitarian Solutions for Gaza and Israel." Ameinu). The question of
children’s education and the way in which to rebuild houses are also critical to answer. Damage
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prevention measures must also be set in place to ensure that further conflict will not have such a large
scale impact in the strip, as well as a full and
detailed plan concerning food, water, education,
and shelter for those who no longer have access
to these basic and fundamental necessities.
The Israeli blockade is a huge deterrent to
aid and progress in the Gaza Strip. It has
especially, in conjunction with the recent conflict,
led to a severe decline in agriculture. Another
solution is to work from the ground up by
bolstering the agricultural sector of Gaza which is approximately 5 percent of its gross domestic
product. In order to do so, water scarcity must be addressed ("Agriculture." The Tax Lawyer). The
building of the pipelines, who it must be overseen by, and sanitation of the heavily contaminated
water have been heavily contested by all sides; some believe Israel should take all responsibility for
the aforementioned whereas others would rather have NGOs such as the Aga Khan Development
Network (AKDN), Development Innovations Group (DIG) or certain allies of the Palestinian peoples
to lead the building of vital water infrastructure.
Questions to Consider
● How should the committee address limitations regarding the blockade without infringing on
Israel’s security needs?
● What measures can be taken to ensure that future violence will not lead to such large scale
damage?
● How can the committee provide mental health care and counseling services to those severely
affected, especially children, in the strip?
● What emergency health care, water, shelter, and food infrastructure should be implemented to
ensure the immediate safety of civilians in Gaza?
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April 25
● Which NGOs can the committee utilize to ensure that the needs of Gaza are adequately met?
● How should Gaza go about rebuilding and creating a sustainable plan for new infrastructure?
Bloc Positions
Member states with infrastructure insecurity similar to Gaza: States such as Myanmar, Libya, Lebanon,
Burundi, Syria,Venezuela, Colombia and Burkina Faso fall into this category. All of these nations
have very poor infrastructure on account of factors such as conflict and their future developments lie
in the solution of the infrastructure problem in Gaza.
Member states with good and stable infrastructure: States like Switzerland, Singapore, and Finland fall
into this category. Each of these nations has sustainable infrastructure in place and can assist in the
implementation, aid, and creation of a stable infrastructure system in Gaza.
Other states: Other nations may be allies with Gaza or may simply have had conflicts in the past that
they have recovered from or are in the process of recovering from. Nations such as the United Arab
Emirates are huge donors of humanitarian aid in Gaza. Be familiar with your nation’s past policies to
determine plans for Gaza’s current humanitarian crisis.
Helpful Resources
● http://www.unicefusa.org/stories/8-things-you-need-know-about-gaza/18886
● http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/27/opinion/gaza-victim-of-history.html?_r=0
● https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/15070-gazas-destroyed-schoolsflooded
● http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1870148,00.html
Works Cited
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Chair: Ruhi Bhaidani
April 25
"LIVE UPDATES: Operation Protective Edge, Day 4 - Diplomacy and Defense."Haaretz.com.
N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
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Filiu, Jean-pierre. "Gaza, Victim of History." The New York Times. The New York Times, 26
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"OPT: Thousands Missing out on Education in Gaza." IRINnews. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
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<http://www.irinnews.org/report/89739/opt-thousands-missing-out-on-education-in-gaza
>.
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<https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/15070-gazas-destroyed-schools
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"8 Things You Need to Know About Gaza." UNICEF USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
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