Gaza Humanitarian Response | Situation Report No. 5

26 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.

25-26 October 2025

HIGHLIGHTS

A joint UN-NGO team visited Gaza city and North Gaza to identify the most urgent needs among returnee communities.
110,000 households have received general food parcel distributions since 13 October through 43 points across the Gaza Strip, including ten in the north.
The World Health Organization facilitated the medical evacuation of 55 critical patients and 158 companions from Gaza. Health partners conducted an assessment of Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Between 22 and 25 October, a total of 42,781 population movements were recorded, 38,786 from southern to northern Gaza, 95 from north to south, and 3,900 from western to eastern Khan Younis. Overall, since 10 October, more than 473,000 people have been observed moving towards the two northern governorates, while more than 100,000 have crossed to eastern Khan Yunis. Displacement sites in the north are grappling with severe shortages of clean water, food, and essential services, compounded by widespread infrastructure damage. Some displaced families are attempting to return to their destroyed homes amidst unstable structures and unexploded ordnance.
On 25 October, the UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator and OCHA visited Gaza city and North Gaza, accompanied by the Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO). The team met with the Gaza Chamber of Commerce to discuss the status of the private sector and coordination with humanitarian efforts to enhance communities’ resilience, and with the Mayor of Gaza city on municipal challenges and on how humanitarian actors can best support urgent needs on the ground. The delegation also visited the Sheikh Radwan Lagoon, where sewage waste is filling the lagoon due to the complete destruction of storage motors and sewage networks. Without quick action, there is a risk of overflow or flooding which would release contaminated water into surrounding residential areas. The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster is planning to support repairs based on an assessment undertaken after the ceasefire. The team also engaged with returnee communities in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, where a significant number of families are living in damaged and unsafe buildings and urgently need shelter and non-food items (NFIs), particularly blankets, mattresses, and winter clothes, and WASH assistance. The delegation then travelled to Jabalya Camp in North Gaza, which was inaccessible prior to the ceasefire, visiting the Fakhura School, which hosts approximately 42 families.

UNITED NATIONS-COORDINATED HUMANITARIAN AID ENTRY^*

While on 25 October, both the Kerem Shalom and Kissufim crossings remained closed for truck offloads for Shabat, the UN Logistics Cluster manifested a total of 249 UN and partner trucks for entry on 26 October.

Regarding collections, between 24 and 25 October, at least 348 United Nations-coordinated trucks with 6,037 pallets of aid were uplifted from the Palestinian side of the crossings for distribution inside Gaza – 302 from Kerem Shalom and 46 from Kissufim. These comprised 3,510 pallets of food assistance - mainly wheat flour, hot meal supplies, canned food and rice; 1,387 pallets of hygiene kits, baby diapers and jerrycans; 660 pallets of health supplies, including medical equipment, post-partum kits, medicines and assistive devices, and 480 pallets of tarps, shelter kits, tents and winter clothes.

While no comprehensive data for cargo collection on 26 October is available yet, at least 574 pallets of hygiene kits and shelter supplies were uplifted from Kerem Shalom and Kissufim, alongside 161 pallets of post-partum kits. A food aid collection mission was also facilitated, on which details are pending. For the second time, a UN attempt to load one truck of animal fodder was denied by Israeli customs authorities, with efforts ongoing to resolve the administrative issue.

Concerning fuel, UNOPS collected eight trucks with 333,000 litres of diesel from Kerem Shalom, while two trucks returned empty as no petrol was received from the Israeli side of the crossing.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Food Security

As of 26 October, 1,061,000 meals were being prepared and delivered daily by 21 partners through 170 kitchens – 76,000 meals by 15 kitchens in the north and 985,000 meals by 155 kitchens in south-central Gaza.
Since Food Security Sector partners resumed general food parcel assistance on 13 October after a six-month hiatus, distributions have progressively increased. Forty-three distribution points are now operational, including 10 in the north, and more than 110,000 households reached (estimated more than 550,000 people) across the Strip as of 26 October. Partners are setting up more distribution points so as to enable people to collect food closer to their locations.
More than 140,000 two-kilogram bundles of bread are being produced per day by 15 UN-supported bakeries across the Strip - around 100,000 bundles at nine bakeries in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, and 40,000 bundles at six bakeries in Gaza city which resumed functionality on 23 October. The bread is distributed either for free through partners across hundreds of sites, including community kitchens and shelters, or sold via more than 20 contracted retailers at a subsidized price of 3 NIS per bundle. Partners are focusing on enhancing bread quality by altering the pace of production and improving storage practices and pickup schedules. They are also working on contracting new retailers in the bread distribution network to expand coverage and support the resumption of markets across the Strip. One NGO partner also resumed its support to a commercial bakery in Gaza City on 22 October, producing more than 50,000 loaves of bread (around 5,000 kilograms) daily for free distribution, in addition to ongoing daily production and distribution of more than 100,000 loaves of bread (around 10,000 kilograms) in the south.

Health

On 25 October, the Health Cluster conducted a rapid assessment of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza; findings are forthcoming. The team also attempted to assess the Al Awda and Indonesian Hospitals in the same governorate, but access to those facilities was denied.
On 26 October, WHO facilitated the medical evacuation of 55 patients and 158 companions to Jordan, UK, Spain, and Türkiye.
The total number of injuries reported across health facilities has declined. In October, so far, 1,600 injuries/trauma cases were reported compared to 8,100 in September and 13,000 in August.

Protection

Across Khan Younis, Deir al Balah and gradually in Gaza city and North Gaza, partners are resuming field operations at different scales as access and mobility improve. Between 22 and 25 October, response highlights included:
- Women’s Protection and Gender Based Violence (GBV) services: GBV partners reached at least 180 women and girls with GBV awareness sessions, distributed hygiene supplies and 2,000 adult diapers to elderly women, managed GBV cases, and provided hot meals to female-headed households, reaching approximately 700-800 people in these households per week.
- Child Protection: 90 children with disabilities or exposed to high protection risks received case management follow-up and referrals to specialized services.
- Cash assistance: 135 vulnerable women and girls were referred for Cash for Protection assistance, while 973 were referred for multiple-purpose cash assistance.
- Disability inclusion: 62 children with disabilities were integrated in group counseling; seven mobility devices were provided.
- Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS): Approximately 1,095 women and children received group and individual counseling, alongside continued speech therapy for children and “Helping the Helpers” sessions for frontline humanitarian staff.
- Protection Monitoring & Reception points: Protection actors continued to operate at two reception points in Gaza city, providing Psychological First Aid, psychosocial support, rapid screening and referrals, and distributing hygiene kits, tarpaulins, mattresses, blankets and food parcels. Mobile community support points were also established in central and southern Gaza.
- Mine Action: Between 25 and 26 October, Mine Action partners conducted four Explosive Hazard Assessments (EHAs) to gauge the structural integrity of hospitals and INGO offices in northern Gaza, took part in three inter-agency missions to provide technical expertise on explosive ordnance risks, and conducted one Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) training, in collaboration with UNDSS, for UN and INGO staff.
- Explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) activities continued, with over 80 facilitators reaching nearly 3,200 people in central and southern Gaza. Since October 2023, Mine Action partners have recorded a total of 150 explosive incidents in Gaza, which claimed 53 fatalities and 278 injuries, underscoring the critical importance of EORE as population movements intensify.

Education

Temporary Learning Spaces (TLSs) that had closed before the ceasefire are gradually reopening. One partner reopened a TLS in Khan Younis Camp, which had been closed in June due to a displacement order, allowing 348 students (126 boys and 222 girls) to access in-person learning. The resumption of classes offers children a critical chance to recover lost learning, and to access MHPSS and structured recreational activities to address trauma.
For the first time in several months, distribution of nutritious snacks such as date bars and high-energy biscuits is resuming at TLSs. So far, 18 TLSs are being targeted daily, with at least 24,000 children reached since the onset of the ceasefire.
Ongoing light renovation works are progressing in 21 schools, and 40 chalkboards have been installed in nine learning spaces in Deir al Balah. These efforts aim to restore the minimum teaching and learning conditions to improve service delivery and support children facing significant learning regression.
The Education Cluster is conducting site assessments this week to identify operable schools and map areas suitable for establishing additional TLSs in Gaza city. Coordination with Mine Action partners is underway to support this process, including initial visits to more than 100 sites.

Fuel

On 26 October, UNOPS distributed nearly 329,000 litres of diesel and 665 litres of petrol to support health, food security, telecommunications, WASH and other critical humanitarian operations.
A new fuel station has been opened in northern Gaza, with two fuel storage facilities now functional in the north and south. Efforts are ongoing to identify additional storage facilities and fuel stations closer to partner locations to enhance accessibility.

* 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.