Gaza Humanitarian Response | Situation Report No. 53

22 Dec 2025

As of 18:00 on 21 December 2025, unless otherwise noted

This report, issued daily from Monday to Saturday, outlines efforts and progress made by the UN and its partners to scale up humanitarian response across the Gaza Strip under the ceasefire that entered into effect on 10 October 2025. For all situation reports see here.

HIGHLIGHTS

Winter conditions have exacerbated safety risks linked to war-damaged structures and makeshift tents, leaving thousands of displaced families highly exposed to cold weather and heavy rainfall.
Partners continue to work to improve access to dignified shelter for the estimated 1.3 million people who need it the most. Between 18 and 21 December, they reached over 8,800 affected families across the Strip with emergency assistance, including tarpaulins, tents, bedding items, and shelter kits.
During the same period, 10 new temporary learning spaces were established across the Strip, benefiting 3,000 school-age children. Currently, 417 learning spaces are operation across the Strip.
Child Protection partners have also reached over 2,700 children and 1,750 caregivers with life-saving services, including structured mental health and psychosocial support and case management for high-risk children. Another 1,000 children and caregivers were also supported through awareness-raising on harmful behaviours.
For the December general food assistance cycle, and as of 21 December, Food Security partners have assisted 164,000 families. Additionally, as of 20 December, partners delivered 1.6 million daily hot meals.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Between 20 and 21 December, Israeli shelling and airstrike continued across the Gaza Strip. In North Gaza governorate, gunfire was reported towards Jabalya camp, as well as airstrikes in Beit Lahiya, east and west Jabalya, and areas east of Ash Shuja'iyya and At Tuffah areas. Helicopter fire was reported east of Jabalya, and two Palestinians were reportedly killed after crossing the “Yellow Line.” In Gaza city, gunfire and shelling occurred in the northeast and east, including At Tuffah, leaving one Palestinian dead and three injured, while airstrikes fire struck Ash Shuja'iyya, Al Mashahra, and At Tuffah areas, killing four Palestinians and injuring four others. In Deir al Balah, helicopter fire hit east Al Maghazi camp, and small-arms fire was reported in northeast Al Bureij, with continued shelling in east Al Maghazi and east and northeast Al Bureij. Two people were also injured as fighting intensified near Musadar Mosque, where the “Yellow Line” marker reportedly shifted westward. In Khan Younis, gunfire and shelling struck eastern, southeastern, and southern areas repeatedly, while airstrikes struck eastern Khan Younis. In Rafah, shelling, along with airstrikes and helicopter fire were reported in Rafah city and northern areas.

Against this backdrop, several war-damaged buildings collapsed due to stormy conditions, with several casualties reported in Gaza city, according to partners on the ground. Between 20 and 21 December, three residential buildings collapsed in Beach camp and Ash Sheikh Radwan area; another collapse was reported in the west of the city. Amid the severe lack of shelter across the Strip, people are staying in buildings that are either partially or mostly damaged, as they try to protect their families from the elements.

On 21 December, the Palestine Civil Defense (PCD) warned families to avoid partially damaged buildings in Gaza and reported that 22 buildings were affected by the winter storm that hit Gaza on 10 December and collapsed, resulting in the reported death of 18 people. Partners continue to focus on winterization including the use of flour bags as sandbags for flood mitigation, the distribution of tents, blankets and winter clothing kits to at-risk families and sites heavily affected by recent storms.

Protection monitoring teams highlighted several emerging risks, including increased psychological distress, reduced access to safe spaces due to weather damage, and heightened vulnerability linked to overcrowded shelters and harsh winter conditions. Persistent access and mobility constraints continue to affect persons with disabilities, women, and caregivers, compounded by insecurity, damaged infrastructure, and lack of transportation support. In a social media statement, the Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group, reported that three quarters of women-headed households urgently need shelter support, and two thirds of women urgently need clothing.

Community feedback emphasized urgent needs for winterization items, safe indoor spaces, transportation assistance, and continuity of psychosocial services. Operational implications include increased staff workload and burnout risks, underscoring the importance of staff well-being measures, flexible implementation approaches, and sustained, adaptable funding to ensure continuity of life-saving protection services.

UNITED NATIONS-COORDINATED AID ENTRY^*

On 21 December, at least 3,248 pallets of aid administered by the UN and its partners were offloaded at Gaza’s crossings, based on data retrieved from the UN 2720 Mechanism dashboard at 20:00 on 22 December. About 59 per cent of these pallets contained food supplies, with the other quantities being shelter items (26 per cent), health supplies (5.5 per cent), water, sanitation and hygiene items (5 per cent), and nutrition supplies (3 per cent). At least 109 truckloads were offloaded at Kerem Shalom Crossing and 38 at Zikim Crossing.

Between 19 and 21 December, UNOPS international monitors verified the collection of at least 15,840 pallets of aid; 11,964 from Kerem Shalom Crossing and 3,876 from Zikim Crossing. These comprised inter alia 10,997 pallets of food assistance including food parcels, flour, rice fortified biscuits and canned foods, 1,901 pallets of shelter items including tents, tarpaulins, blankets and mattresses, 1,569 pallets of WASH items including hygiene and dignity kits, water tanks and diapers, 706 pallets of medical supplies, and 431 pallets of winter clothing.

Between 20 and 21 December, 11 of 17 humanitarian movements in the Gaza Strip requiring coordination with Israeli authorities were successfully facilitated. Of these, 10 were fully completed and one partially accomplished. One mission was impeded and only partially accomplished, while two others were denied outright - including a rescue mission to evacuate an injured person east of Gaza city. Another mission was cancelled after its objective was met through alternative arrangements.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

The below are preliminary updates shared by Clusters at the time of reporting and will be reconciled and aggregated in the coming days as Clusters receive more data from the capillary network of partners active on the ground.

Food Security

As of 21 December, Food Security Sector partners have reached 164,000 families (about 820,000 people) with monthly general food assistance via 60 distribution points across the Strip.
Hot meal distribution continues at pace. As of 20 December, 1,591,000 meals were prepared and delivered daily by 25 partners through 208 kitchens – 370,000 meals by 45 kitchens in northern Gaza and 1,221,000 by 163 kitchens in southern and central Gaza.
The distribution of veterinary kits and animal feed, which began on 9 December to assist approximately 2,000 small ruminant holders and 200 donkey owners, has reached 1,130 animal holders as of 21 December.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

Water trucking operations continue, with 46 partners distributing more than 36,850 cubic metres of drinking water and 9,300 cubic metres of domestic water daily to 6,641 water collection points across the Strip.
On 21 December, an engineering team from the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) and the Jabalya Municipality conducted an inspection and assessment of the Al Hawaber sewage pumping station in Jabalya in preparation for upcoming repair work. The station was destroyed during the war, and CMWU is planning partial temporary repairs to enable limited operations and reduce environmental and public health risks.
Cluster partners are also doing maintenance work at several sewage pumping stations and networks, including Wafia and Hamad stations in Khan Younis, the sewage network in Nuseirat, stormwater gullies and sewage networks in Gaza city, and the Saftawi network west of Jabalya. These repairs aim to mitigate flooding risks and prevent sewage contamination during future rains.

Shelter

Between 18 and 21 December, Shelter Cluster partners reached more than 8,800 families with emergency shelter and bedding items through a coordinated intersectoral response across Gaza city, Deir al Balah, and Khan Younis. The distributions included the following:

In response to storm-related damage, partners provided a total of 2,129 tarpaulins, 1,883 tents, and 3,431 bedding items as part of integrated emergency shelter packages. This assistance reached 1,883 households through a joint distribution mechanism, including 270 households in Gaza city, 499 in Deir al Balah, and 1,114 in Khan Younis, offering urgent support to families whose shelters were severely affected by heavy rainfall.
Three partners contributed additional support. The first partner distributed 2,208 bedding items to 184 households in Khan Younis, addressing the needs of families impacted by weather-related damage. The second partner delivered 3,544 shelter kits, including 1,180 tarpaulins in Gaza city and 2,364 tarpaulins in Deir al Balah, reaching 3,544 households with emergency shelter assistance. The third partner distributed 9,624 tarpaulins to 3,208 households in Deir al Balah, along with 255 tents, significantly strengthening coverage for highly vulnerable displaced families.

Protection

Between 20 and 21 December, Protection Cluster partners reached 455 people with various services. This included approximately 110 people who received adult-focused mental health and psychosocial support through group sessions, individual counseling, and Psychological First Aid. Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) sessions reached 60 people, while 250 people participated in awareness activities on PSEA to mitigate protection risks in displacement settings. In addition, around 35 people, including people with disabilities and their caregivers, benefited from inclusion-focused psychosocial and rehabilitation support.
Child Protection
- Between 20 and 21 December, Child Protection (CP) partners reached over 2,700 children and more than 1,750 caregivers, including children with disabilities, with a range of life-saving services. These included structured mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), case management for high-risk children (including 82 follow-ups for unaccompanied and separated children), rehabilitation services for children with disabilities, positive parenting sessions, caregiver group interventions, community-based awareness activities, and referrals for assistive devices.
- Community-based activities continued through 150 child-friendly and safe spaces, focusing on child protection awareness, positive parenting, recreational activities, group-based MHPSS interventions, risk mitigation, and family tracing messaging. These activities aimed to strengthen coping mechanisms, promote protective behaviours within families, and enhance community awareness, including among mothers and caregivers of children with disabilities. Identification bracelets were distributed to at least 38 children to support family tracing and reunification efforts.
- Partners addressed risky and harmful behaviours affecting children through awareness-raising and targeted support, reaching approximately 1,000 children and caregivers.
- Significant operational constraints were reported due to heavy rainfall and flooding, which damaged tents, shelters, and educational spaces, disrupted access for children and staff, and limited the functionality of child-friendly spaces. In northern Gaza, activities remain severely restricted due to damaged infrastructure, unsafe structures, non-functional water and sanitation systems, explosive remnants of war (ERW) risks, and ongoing security concerns, despite the opening of limited educational points.
Gender-Based Violence
- Between 20 and 21 December, activities addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) continued across 36 Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSSs) in the Strip, reaching approximately 3,600 people. Services included multisectoral support such as awareness-raising, psychosocial support, case management, legal assistance, and physical protection for GBV survivors in two safe houses.
- On the same days, GBV partners distributed 1,550 dignity kits to women and girls to meet hygiene needs, while actively supporting the ongoing multisectoral response for affected households.
- Coordination is ongoing with the Shelter Cluster and partners to support women and maintain spaces affected by flooding, ensuring WGSSs remain functional. In some locations, families have temporarily moved into WGSSs, limiting activity space; efforts continue to maintain safe and accessible areas for program delivery.
- On 19 December, a training on addressing GBV in Emergencies was conducted for partners working with persons with disabilities. The training focused on strengthening partner capacity for inclusive GBV response in emergency contexts, ensuring quality services and accessibility for all vulnerable groups.
Mine Action
- On 21 December, three Mine Action partners conducted four Explosive Hazard Assessment in Deir al Balah in support of partner activities and rubble removal efforts.

Education

In collaboration with partners, the Education Cluster has successfully furnished a temporary learning space (TLS) in Deir al Balah using 13 recycled wooden pallets to create furniture sets. Each set includes one table and six stools, providing seating for 78 female students. While this is an encouraging step forward, the need remains high. Additional pallets are urgently required to scale up production, especially as winter conditions intensify.
Between 20 and 22 December, 10 additional TLSs have been established: three in Deir al Balah, four in Gaza city, one in North Gaza, and two in Khan Younis. These new spaces now offer learning opportunities to 3,000 additional school-aged children, supported by 40 teachers. The total number of operational TLSs currently stands at 417, with almost 230,000 enrolled students supported by more than 5,400 teachers. Scaling up TLS remains a critical priority, but it is heavily dependent on the timely entry of essential supplies.

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