Gaza Humanitarian Response | Situation Report No. 55

As of 18:00 on 26 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

  • As of 23 December, Food Security Sector partners had reached 194,000 families (approximately 970,000 people) with general food assistance as part of the December monthly cycle.
  • The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster dispatched nearly 62,000 dignity kits, over 14,300 hygiene kits and 3,230 bottles of shampoo to partners across Gaza between 23 and 26 December.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Between 24 and 26 December, airstrikes, shelling and gunfire reportedly continued across the Gaza Strip. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, as of 13:00 hrs on 27 December, four Palestinians had been killed and eight others injured across the Gaza Strip over the previous 48 hours.

Population movements continued across Gaza, with more than 19,300 movements recorded by Site Management partners between 7 and 20 December. Since the onset of the ceasefire on 10 October, over 807,900 movements have been documented, of which approximately 672,300 were from southern to northern Gaza. Given the extensive destruction, families returning near their homes face heightened concerns as winter conditions set in, with flooding further worsening vulnerabilities and making it increasingly difficult to secure adequate shelter and heating.

UNITED NATIONS-COORDINATED AID ENTRY*

On 24 December, at least 3,599 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 15:00 on 27 December. About 67 per cent of these pallets contained food supplies, followed by shelter items (18 per cent), WASH (11 per cent), and health supplies (3 per cent). At least 153 truckloads were offloaded at the Kerem Shalom Crossing in the south and 17 at the Zikim Crossing in the north. Verified data on aid cargo offloads on 25 and 26 December are not available yet at the time of reporting.

With regard to collections, between 24 and 26 December, according to preliminary data, at least 1,007 pallets of shelter, WASH and health supplies, such as winter clothes, mattresses, blankets, tents, dignity kits, vaccines, water filters and chemical supplies, 310 pallets of ready-to-use therapeutic food and Super Cereal, and 454,000 litres of fuel were collected from the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings.

The above data excludes bilateral donations and the commercial sector.

Between 24 and 26 December, eight out of twelve humanitarian movements inside Gaza requiring coordination with Israeli authorities were facilitated. Two missions faced impediments – one was eventually completed, while the other aimed at collecting eight tripper trucks from Kerem Shalom, remained unaccomplished – and two other missions were cancelled by the organizers.

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

  • Between 1 and 23 December, Food Security Sector partners reached 194,000 families (about 970,000 people) with the monthly general food assistance for December via 60 distribution points across the Strip. This represents 46 per cent of the 2.1 million people the sector aims to reach each month.
  • The distribution of veterinary kits and animal feed, which began on 9 December, had reached 2,050 small ruminant holders as of 26 December.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

  • Between 23 and 26 December, the WASH Cluster dispatched 61,943 dignity kits, 14,323 hygiene kits (including 4,760 of family size) and 3,235 bottles of shampoo to partners across Gaza, sufficient to support approximately 150,000 people in need.
  • The WASH Cluster is transferring second pass equipment from the Al Bassa Desalination Plant to the Al-Manshia desalination plant, in Gaza city, and the Marwa Water Well, in Jabalya. Both plants will operate at a capacity of 37 cubic metres per hour. This equipment will improve the plants’ water purification system, therefore ensuring that cleaner water is provided to people.

Protection

  • General Protection
    • Between 23 and 26 December, General Protection partners reached 1,868 people through mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) activities, case management services, legal consultations or assistance and civil documentation support.
  • Child Protection
    • Between 23 and 26 December, child protection partners supported over 3,500 children and caregivers, including through MHPSS, winter clothing assistance, and disability-inclusive services such as rehabilitation, speech therapy, and referrals for assistive devices.
    • In parallel, child protection partners intensified risk mitigation and awareness-raising on unsafe child behaviours such as jumping or throwing stones on moving vehicles in identified hotspot locations, reaching over 600 children and caregivers with targeted messaging to address heightened risks linked to overcrowding and the lack of structured activities.
    • Since October 2025, child protection partners have distributed over 600,000 blankets to the most vulnerable families with children, alongside more than 350,000 winter clothing items across the Gaza Strip, prioritizing young children. However, significant gaps persist for adolescents aged 11 and 17 years due to lack of donor funding.
    • More than 40 child-friendly and safe spaces (CFSs) remain damaged across the Strip due to the heavy rains of mid-December. More high-performance service tents and tarpaulins must urgently enter the Strip to rehabilitate these sites and safely resume child protection and MHPSS services.
  • Gender-Based Violence
    • Between 23 and 26 December, partners addressing gender-based violence (GBV) reached approximately 3,809 women and girls through group therapeutic sessions, while individual counseling sessions were provided to 429 women and girls. GBV helplines responded to 23 calls, providing immediate psychosocial first aid, information, and referrals to relevant services. Case management services continued through safe spaces for women and girls, including the provision of emergency cash assistance to 21 GBV survivors and vulnerable women and girls, as well as referrals for psychosocial, legal, and medical services where available.
    • A total of 1,556 participants attended awareness sessions on addressing GBV, sexual violence, and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse. These included 974 women and girls and 582 men and boys, who were sensitized on available services addressing GBV, survivors’ rights, and referral mechanisms. Legal awareness, mediation, and individual consultations focused on legal rights, family disputes, and access to justice reached 18 people, including 11 women and seven men.
  • Mine Action
    • Between 21 and 25 December, Mine Action partners conducted five explosive hazard assessments in Deir al Balah and Gaza city, in support of rubble removal efforts and partner activities.
    • In-person sessions of explosive ordnance risk education continued across Gaza city, Deir al Balah, and Khan Younis governorates, reaching more than 17,500 people between 21 and 24 December.

* 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.

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