Gaza Humanitarian Response | Situation Report No. 1

21 Oct 2025

This daily report outlines UN and partners’ efforts and progress in scaling up the humanitarian response across the Gaza Strip under the ceasefire agreement that entered into effect on 10 October 2025.

HIGHLIGHTS

Inter-Cluster team conducts first multi-sectoral rapid assessments in North Gaza governorate to identify priority needs and inform assistance scale-up.
Over 30,000 households reached with general food parcel assistance across 27 distribution points in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis since 13 October; nine distribution points ready to start operations in Gaza city.
Seven shelters connected to main water network in Deir al Balah, with four new solar-powered desalination plants also installed in southern Gaza to expand safe drinking water access for internally displaced persons.
New Women and Girls Safe Space (WGSS) established within Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis to provide multisectoral and integrated gender-based violence (GBV) services.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

On the evening of 21 October, the bodies of two further Israeli hostages were handed over to the Israeli forces. At present, the remains of 13 hostages are believed to remain in the Gaza Strip.

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported receiving 15 bodies of deceased Palestinian detainees on 21 October, bringing the total since the start of the ceasefire to 165.

Population movement towards areas within the ceasefire zone that were previously off-limits continues. Since the onset of the ceasefire on 10 October, Site Management Cluster partners have recorded over 533,000 displacement movements, 425,254 of them from southern to northern Gaza through Al Rasheed and Salah al Deen roads and another 93,660 from western to eastern Khan Younis. Over 14,340 people were also observed moving back from east to west within the Khan Younis governorate.

On 21 October, an inter-cluster team conducted multisectoral rapid assessments in a makeshift displacement site in Jabalya and in two schools sheltering internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Beit Lahiya – two areas of the North Gaza governorate which were previously inaccessible due to military operations - to identify priority needs and inform the scale-up of assistance. Of the 120 families who had previously been residing in the Jabalya makeshift site, just 45 families returned during the past week. They have solely received domestic water support, with no other services available in the vicinity. Key priorities identified by the community include access to drinking water, bedding kits, latrines, hygiene items, and repair of the sewage system to avoid potential sewage overflow during the winter, as occurred last year.

The two schools-turned-shelters in Beit Lahiya currently host 100 families who returned over the past 10 days. Services in the area remain extremely limited. Beyond the urgent need for latrines, food, drinking water, water tanks, hygiene kits, and clothing, the community requested assistance to address mosquito and other insect infestations.

UN-COORDINATED HUMANITARIAN AID ENTRY^*

UN and partner truck offloads and collections - 20 October

On 20 October, according to the UN 2720 Mechanism dashboard, 105 UN and partner trucks of 158 trucks initially manifested under the UN Logistics Cluster were offloaded at the Kerem Shalom and Kissufim crossings. The trucks contained 1,604 metric tons (mt) or 2,299 pallets of aid. Overall, approximately 43 per cent of all cargo offloaded was food aid, with the other largest categories being water, sanitation and hygiene items (19 per cent), nutrition supplies (14 per cent), shelter (10.5 per cent), and health (7 per cent).

During the same timeframe, at least 145 UN-coordinated trucks with 1,464 mt or 2,232 pallets of aid were collected from the crossings for distribution into Gaza. This included inter alia 1,085 mt of food supplies – representing 74 per cent of all uplifted aid - as well as 131 mt of shelter materials, 118 mt of WASH items, 30 mt of concentrated fodder for animals, and 12 mt of health supplies.

Trucks manifested and collected (preliminary) - 21 October

A total of 174 UN and partner trucks were manifested for entry under the Logistics Cluster on 21 October. These included 102 trucks with food and nutrition supplies – mainly wheat flour, food parcels, food rations, essential staples as rice, bulgur and canned vegetables, Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements and High-Energy Biscuits; 45 with hygiene kits, diapers and water jerricans; 24 with shelter supplies – mostly tarps and blankets; 2 with medicines and medical consumables, and one with concentrated animal fodder.

While no comprehensive data for cargo collection on 21 October is available yet, UNICEF safely uplifted 13 trucks from the Kissufim crossing with 162 pallets of water tanks, 86 pallets of hygiene kits and 62 pallets of buckets. Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) attempted to collect one double-trailer truck of animal fodder, but it was turned back at Kerem Shalom crossing due to customs issues on the Israeli side. A World Food Program (WFP) food cargo uplift mission from Kerem Shalom was facilitated, but no details are available yet.

With regard to fuel, on 21 October, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) collected eight trucks with 340,500 litres of diesel from Kerem Shalom and distributed 179,162 litres to partners for critical humanitarian operations. Overall, since the onset of the ceasefire on 10 October, UNOPS uplifted 1,634,260 litres of diesel into Gaza, while no petrol was procured yet.

Restrictions on international NGO aid cargo

On 20 October, the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) rejected four aid cargo submissions by three international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) through the UN 2720 Mechanism dashboard, on the basis that these organizations are not authorized to bring aid into Gaza. Rejected items included hygiene and cleaning kits and wooden batons for shelter. Overall, between 16 and 20 October, requests by seven INGOs were rejected with the same explanation provided, affecting the entry of food, WASH, shelter, and health supplies.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Food Security

Since resuming on 13 October, food parcel distributions by Food Security Sector partners have continued to expand in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, with 27 food distribution points now operational and more than 30,000 households reached as of 20 October. Partners are working to dispatch food supplies from southern to northern Gaza to also resume general food parcel distribution there, with nine distribution points in Gaza city ready to resume operations.
On 20 October, over 100,000 2-kg bread bundles continued to be produced at the nine WFP-supported bakeries in central and southern Gaza and distributed through partners across over 230 sites or sold via 22 contracted retailers at a subsidized price of 3 NIS per bundle. Partners are focusing on enhancing bread quality by altering production speeds and improving storage practices and pickup schedules.
As of 20 October, WFP alone had over 162,000 mt of food supplies destined for Gaza stored, under procurement, or in transit in the region. This includes over 40,000 mt already available at Ashdod Port, more than 11,000 mt in Egypt, nearly 9,000 mt in Jordan, and over 100,000 mt in transit or under procurement to corridors.

Nutrition

Since 1 October, WFP partners reached an estimated 107,472 pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) and under-five children with blanket supplementary feeding for the prevention of malnutrition, and 2,850 malnourished PBW with targeted supplementary feeding for active treatment. These figures are the highest since famine was confirmed declared in the Gaza governorate in August and replicate the scale of coverage that WFP partners achieved in the previous ceasefire in January-February 2025.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

Seven IDP shelters in Deir al Balah were connected to the main water network by the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) and a WASH Cluster partner. The ongoing intervention aims to enhance access to water supply and safe water collection and is part of the sectoral strategy to reduce dependence on water trucking.
Four solar powered desalination units, each providing IDP shelters with 12 cubic metres of drinking water per day, were installed in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, to be operated by CMWU.
On 20 October, UNRWA removed 266 tons of solid waste and distributed 1,371 cubic metres of water, accompanied by water quality testing and disinfection, across its accessible Designated Emergency Shelters (DES). In addition, UNRWA staff conducted 55 hygiene promotions sessions across southern Gaza and implemented six rodent and insect control campaigns.
The WASH Cluster repaired the Hesbit El Samak sewage pressure line in Khan Younis. Testing, however, has identified an additional underground leak, which requires further intervention.

Health

On 20 October, World Health Organization(WHO) reported dispatching four pallets of medical supplies from its southern warehouse to key health facilities and partners to ensure the continuity of life-saving health services across the Strip. These include medicines for diabetes and other chronic conditions, treatments for infections and malnutrition, and pain management medication.

Shelter

The distribution of 29,000 blankets to 16 prioritized displacement sites in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis is nearing completion; thus far, 24,764 have been distributed, including 10,000 on 20 October.
On 20 October, a Shelter Cluster partner recorded the entry of 540 tents; 300 of these are planned to be distributed on 21 October to the most vulnerable households.

Site Management

Eleven Site Management Cluster partners continue to visit displacement sites in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis to assess the functioning of site committees, track population movements, verify population figures, assess urgent needs, review the status of community-led projects, and address other site-level issues.
In Gaza city, several displacement sites have experienced a steady increase in population following the recent ceasefire. A field assessment conducted at Al Yarmouk Stadium revealed that, while the site did not undergo full-scale displacement during the intensified Israeli military operation commenced in mid-August in the north, there were notable fluctuations in resident numbers: the site housed about 425 families before the escalation, dropped to 180 families during the peak of the military operations, and rose again to 382 families after the ceasefire. The site management team has remained strong and effective, supported by nine active committees and ongoing training initiatives, and there is additional capacity to accommodate up to 40 more families.
A Site Management partner recently gained access to Al Mawasi area of Rafah and assessed six displacement sites, which together host 6,525 people. These sites, which were largely isolated and underserved due to their proximity to former military operation zones, remain home to displaced families from Rafah, as well as groups from Khan Younis, Gaza city, and North Gaza. While communities have shown strong self-organization through informal committees and local solidarity networks, the assessment identified dire humanitarian needs requiring urgent response, including fragile shelter conditions, limited water delivery, lack of sanitation, high flood risk, and full reliance on the distant ICRC Field Hospital for healthcare.

Protection

Over the past two days, Protection partners reached approximately 1,200 people with psychosocial support, rehabilitation, and protection services in central and southern governorates. Activities included group and individual counseling, trauma-focused interventions for children, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) for persons with disabilities, and case follow-ups for highly affected families. In the north, operations are focused on assessment and preparatory work, rather than direct service delivery.
Between 19 and 21 October, about 3,809 women and girls received psychosocial support through group therapeutic sessions, while another 229 received individual counseling sessions.
During the same period, 1,300 women and girls were supported with dignity kits and menstrual hygiene management items in Deir al Balah and the Mawasi area of Khan Younis.
One new Women and Girls Safe Space (WGSS) has been established within the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis to provide multisectoral and integrated GBV services.
On 19 October, a training session on GBV in Emergencies was conducted for 40 GBV partners to strengthen their capacity to deliver quality GBV prevention and response interventions.
Mine Action: On 20 October, Mine Action partners provided technical expertise during seven Inter-Agency Missions (IAMs) - three with OCHA, including an assessment of Al Yaman Al Saeed Hospital in Jabalya, one with UNOPS to support a fuel convoy to Khan Younis, and five at sites in Gaza city. Eighty-two facilitators reached 2,973 people through Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) sessions. An EORE Training-of-Trainer session was also provided to one local partner.

Education

On 20 October, two high-performance tents were delivered to a Palestinian Authority (PA) school in Deir al Balah to support the expansion of MHPSS interventions at the school. These interventions aim to help school-aged children cope with trauma and are scheduled on alternate days to regular learning activities. This approach allows one group of learners to attend classroom lessons while another participates in MHPSS, ensuring that enrolled children attend school almost every day and maintain a stable routine. However, the scale-up of these services remains constrained due to limited supply availability amid continued restrictions on the entry of education supplies into Gaza.
A Cluster partner launched animation and theatre activities at another PA school in Deir al Balah, aiming to reach 5,418 children, with each participating three days a week for eight weeks. These activities are designed to promote psychosocial well-being and provide children with creative, interactive spaces for self-expression and recovery.

* All figures solely refer to UN and partner assistance dispatched through the UN-coordinated system, are preliminary and will be reconciled in the course of the ceasefire. Trucks entering through bilateral donations and the commercial sector are not reflected.