Gaza Humanitarian Response | Situation Report No. 62

16 Jan 2026

As of 18:00 on 15 January 2026, unless otherwise noted

This report, issued every Tuesday and Friday, outlines efforts and progress made by the UN and its partners to scale up the humanitarian response across the Gaza Strip under the ceasefire that entered into effect on 10 October 2025. The next report will be issued on 16 January. For all situation reports see here.

HIGHLIGHTS

Between 12 and 15 January, severe weather affected 106 displacement sites across the Gaza Strip, impacting over 19,000 people. At least 34 people were reported injured and seven killed amid widespread damage to shelter and water and sanitation networks.
Overall, as of 14 January, 31 storm-related deaths, including seven children who died from hypothermia, were reported by the Ministry of Health (MoH) since the onset of the winter season.
Between 10 and 14 January, Cash Working Group partners distributed multi-purpose cash assistance to more than 2,500 households and confirmed 52,000 households pre-booked for January 2026.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Between 12 and 15 January, airstrikes, shelling and gunfire continued to be reported across the Gaza Strip. According to the MoH in Gaza, 14 Palestinians were killed and 23 others injured over the last 48 hours, bringing the total casualty toll reported by MoH since 11 October 2025 to 463 killed and 1,269 injured.

During the reporting period, heavy rain, strong winds and flooding continued to affect civilians across the Gaza Strip, particularly displaced families living in makeshift shelters and flood-prone areas. According to the Site Management Cluster (SMC), 106 displacement sites reported storm-related impact, with 86 per cent of all incidents recorded after 13 January. A total of 4,136 households (approximately 19,230 people) were affected, with 34 injuries and seven fatalities reported, and at least 287 people newly displaced. Field reports confirmed extensive structural damage, including 3,455 tents and makeshift shelters destroyed or severely damaged, as well as 253 water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities rendered non-functional.

Priority needs in affected sites include emergency shelter materials—particularly tents, tarpaulins, ropes and sandbags—as well as essential non-food items such as bedding and winter clothing. Urgent WASH intervention needs were also identified, including drainage improvements, wastewater management, and repairs to damaged latrines to improve people’s living conditions.

UNITED NATIONS-COORDINATED AID ENTRY^*

Between 13 and 15 January, at least 7,571 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 18:00 on 15 January. About 72 per cent of these pallets contained food, followed by shelter (14 per cent), WASH supplies (8 per cent), health items (4 per cent), and education and nutrition assistance (1 per cent).

During the same reporting period, UNOPS international monitors deployed at Gaza’s crossings verified the collection of at least 3,495 pallets of aid – all collected from Kerem Shalom Crossing. These comprised inter alia over 1,370 pallets of food assistance, more than 750 pallets of shelter items including tents, blankets, tarpaulins and kitchenware, over 640 pallets of WASH items, such as water chemicals and hygiene kits, and 550 pallets of health supplies.

Overall, between the announcement of the ceasefire on 10 October 2025 and 15 January 2026, at least 244,623 pallets of humanitarian cargo were offloaded, and 236,063 pallets collected from the various crossings. Only 1,532 pallets, or one per cent of all uplifted aid, was intercepted during transit within Gaza.

The above data does not include bilateral donations and the commercial sector.

Between 13 and 15 January, a total of 26 humanitarian movements requiring coordination with Israeli authorities were reported. Of these, 17 movements (65 per cent) were facilitated, enabling inter alia the movement of food, health, WASH, and fuel supplies. Three movements faced impediments (11 per cent), of which one was ultimately fully accomplished, while two could only be partially completed. Four other movements (15 per cent) were cancelled by the organizing agencies, while two (8 per cent) were denied by the Israeli authorities.

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.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

WASH Cluster partners continued priority life-saving activities across the Gaza Strip, including water trucking and repairs to water and sewage networks. Despite ongoing fuel constraints, prioritized interventions continued, although service levels remained below those recorded prior to the fuel crisis.
Between 12 and 15 January, partners distributed 500,000 bars of soap, 6,660 dignity kits, 200 chlorine bottles, 12 hygiene kits, and 17 water tanks to support hygiene and water access across affected areas.
Partners repaired damages at the Mekorot North water connection and conducted emergency maintenance on the Emirati desalinated water carrier line. Inspections identified 13 leaks along the HDPE pipeline, all of which were repaired during the reporting period.
As of 15 January, solid waste accumulation remained critical, particularly north of Wadi Gaza. While technical planning for the Abo Jarad temporary dump site continued, the Feras Market remains the only operational dump site in the area, with dangerously high levels of waste posing risks of collapse onto Omar Mukhtar Street. South of Wadi Gaza, the two remaining operational temporary dump sites are projected to reach capacity within approximately two months.

Health

As of 14 January, 31 storm-related deaths have been reported by MoH, including seven children who died due to hypothermia and 24 people killed by collapsing structures. Between 12 and 14 January, an inter-sectoral assessment was initiated to investigate hypothermia-related deaths. The Sexual and Reproductive Health Technical Working Group has also begun to coordinated case identification to refer vulnerable newborns and pregnant women for inter-sectoral support, including shelter and storm-related assistance.
Since the ceasefire, health partners established 26 new Health Service Points (HSPs) and resumed operations in 36 others, increasing HSP functionality from 33 per cent prior to the ceasefire to 40 per cent currently. Approximately 70 per cent of this increase was in northern Gaza.
Between October 2025 and 15 January 2026, hospital expansion efforts continued. The Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis increased its capacity by 140 beds for specialized surgeries and rehabilitation, while Al-Awda Hospital in Deir al Balah established a neonatal intensive care unit with a capacity of five incubators.
Between 18 and 29 January, Health Cluster partners plan to conduct the second round of the catch-up immunization campaign targeting children under three years across all governorates.

Shelter

Between 12 and 14 January, Shelter Cluster partners delivered emergency shelter and non-food items (NFIs) assistance through in-kind and voucher-based modalities, reaching a total of 14,801 households. Distributions included 202 tents, 7,675 tarpaulins, 3,552 bedding items, 15,003 blankets, 1,558 kitchen sets, 1,843 clothing kits and vouchers, 391 solar lights, and 664 sealing-off kits.
In addition, as part of an inter-sectoral joint response to storm-related incidents, partners distributed 1,370 tents, along with blankets and tarpaulins, to 1,370 households across the Gaza Strip. Shelter Cluster partners reported that tents allocated for joint distributions are nearing depletion.
Repeated winter storms have caused severe damage to tents and makeshift shelters, particularly in areas with weak foundations and water-saturated soil. Given the limited availability of shelter materials and the absence of durable housing solutions, these impacts are expected to persist, with temporary materials often deteriorating within weeks.
Field observations indicate that displaced families are trying to reinforce shelters using improvised methods, including tying tents together and securing tarpaulins with metal wires due to the unavailability of ropes. Beyond the critical need for shelter and NFIs, heavy equipment for debris removal, rubble crushing, and site levelling, as well as plastic sandbags and basic tools, are also urgently required.

Protection

Between 12 and 14 January, protection partners conducted activities across Gaza city, North Gaza, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, reaching over 17,900 people.
Partners report that protection needs continue to outpace available resources, resulting in gaps in mental health and psychosocial support, rehabilitation services, winterization assistance and sustained case management, particularly for families experiencing repeated displacement.
Child Protection
- Between 12 and 14 January, Child Protection partners reached over 1,300 children and nearly 190 caregivers through psychosocial, recreational, and rehabilitation services in Gaza city, and Deir al Balah, including in displacement sites.
- More than 440 children received winterization assistance, including clothing kits for children aged 2–4 years and winter shoes for children aged 4–7 years, alongside blankets for their families.
Prevention of Gender-Based Violence (GBV):
- Between 12 and 14 January, partners working on addressing and preventing GBV reached 1,353 people with group and individual counselling, psychological first aid (PFA), and awareness sessions.
- Mental health awareness activities reached 283 women and girls, including 37 women and girls with disabilities. PFA was provided to 102 women, while individual counselling was provided to 64 women.
- Legal services reached 709 women through legal awareness sessions, consultations, and mediation support.
- Partners distributed over 900 health kits to women and adolescent girls across Deir al Balah and Gaza city, alongside 110 winter blankets for vulnerable families in the same governorates.
- Three awareness workshops on sexual violence and GBV were also delivered, benefiting 55 participants.
Mine Action
- Between 12 and 14 January, mine action partners conducted 63 Explosive Hazard Assessments in An Nuseirat, northern Deir al Balah, in support of debris removal activities.
- During the same period, no new explosive ordnance (EO) incidents were recorded; however, backdated data continued to be received. Since October 2023, 207 EO-related incidents have been recorded, resulting in 470 casualties (73 killed and 397 injured).

Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA)

Between 10 and 14 January, Cash Working Group (CWG) partners distributed MPCA to approximately 2,550 households (around 14,000 people). As of mid-January, CWG confirmed that 52,000 households were pre-booked for MPCA in January, of which 23,000 were reached during the first two weeks of the year.
During the same period, CWG partners called for sustained scale-up to maintain an average reach of at least 100,000 households per month, building on the 113,240 households assisted in December 2025.

* 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.