{"id":244602,"date":"2020-12-31T11:10:29","date_gmt":"2020-12-31T16:10:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=244602"},"modified":"2021-01-04T11:11:32","modified_gmt":"2021-01-04T16:11:32","slug":"home-quarantine-compounds-hardship-of-thousands-of-families-in-gaza-ocha-article","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/home-quarantine-compounds-hardship-of-thousands-of-families-in-gaza-ocha-article\/","title":{"rendered":"Home Quarantine Compounds Hardship of Thousands of Families in Gaza – OCHA Article"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted on\u00a031 December 2020<\/span><\/p>\n

Rana, a 14 -year-old girl from Khan Younis, had to spend three weeks in quarantine at home, after being in contact with a relative who tested positive for COVID-19. She spent this period with her father and siblings, while her mother was outside the country. “I was very afraid of what might happen to us and wasn\u2019t able to do my homework or anything else,\u201d said Rana.<\/p>\n

Since the detection of the first case of COVID-19 transmission within the community in the Gaza Strip in late August, the number of people who contracted the virus soared from around 150 to over 39,000 by end December 2020, and fatalities from three to some 350. As the number of cases surged, the local authorities had to adapt the modalities of isolation for those who tested positive or were in contact with them, as well as for those returning to Gaza, via Israel or Egypt.<\/p>\n

Instead of being quarantined in a designated centre,[1]<\/a><\/a>\u00a0 since early October, a growing number of people have been referred to home quarantine. While this was initially limited to the family members of infected people and asymptomatic cases, it was subsequently expanded to include people showing light or mild symptoms and returnees. Meanwhile, the \u2018institutional option\u2019 (including hospitals) has remained available for people suffering more severe symptoms, as well as those unable to undertake home quarantine.<\/p>\n

\"Staff
Staff of an aid organization preparing for the distribution of bedding sets to isolation centers. April 2020, Rafah. Photo by NRC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As of 15 December, of the approximately 8,700 active cases registered in Gaza, 83 per cent (7,200 people) were in home isolation and 17 per cent (1,500 people) were isolated in the two designated hospitals and eight isolation facilities. Another 25,600 people who were in contact with confirmed cases were in home quarantine.[2]<\/a><\/a>\u00a0Dedicated police forces have been allocated to ensure abidance by the quarantine rules.<\/p>\n

The home quarantine has generated additional challenges and hardship for many already vulnerable families, and resulted in gaps in certain services and assistance. To identify the emerging needs and better customize humanitarian responses, the Gaza Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG)[3]<\/a><\/a>\u00a0led by OCHA, carried out a rapid multi-sectoral assessment among affected households. Between 8 and 20 November, members of a representative sample of 244 households (HHs), who were in home quarantine during October, were interviewed over the phone using a structured questionnaire.[4]<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n

The following are some key findings:<\/p>\n