Gaza Humanitarian Response Update | 31 August – 13 September 2025

Response

• Between 1 and 15 September, humanitarian partners conducted daily convoys to collect food aid, uplifting over 12,500 metric tons (MT) of wheat flour, food parcels, and bulk supplies into Gaza through the UN-coordinated aid mechanism. However, more than 77 per cent of this aid was offloaded by hungry crowds or looted by organized groups along convoy routes, preventing targeted household distributions and safe delivery to partner warehouses.
• As of 13 September, 116 kitchens supported by 20 partners were preparing and distributing 558,000 meals daily across the Gaza Strip – 167,000 in the north and 391,000 in central and southern Gaza. In response to ongoing north-to-south displacement, partners have significantly scaled up meal production in central and southern Gaza, increasing daily meal production by over 40,000 meals between 12 and 13 September. Additionally, since 10 September, partners have been distributing 10,000 loaves of bread daily to displaced people on the move relocating south of Wadi Gaza from the north.
• In the north, partners have been endeavoring to maintain the level of meal provision despite the risky and unpredictable operational context. Reports indicate damage to some partner facilities due to nearby attacks, and two commercial bakeries have received orders to evacuate.

Challenges

• Since 20 July, when regular food cargo uplifts from Gaza’s crossings resumed, less than 35 per cent of the 2,000 MT of food supplies required daily to meet basic humanitarian needs has been able to enter the Strip. Since the closure of the Zikim Crossing on 12 September, Food Security Sector partners have not been able to bring any food aid to northern Gaza where hundreds of thousands of people remain and where a human-made famine was confirmed on 22 August. There are grave concerns over fuel and food stock depletion in a matter of days as there are now no direct aid entry points into northern Gaza and resupply from south to north is increasingly challenging due to mounting road congestion and insecurity.
• There is an urgent need to scale up the entry of nutritious food through the commercial sector, including fresh produce and fortified food items, to help meet growing needs.
• Despite sustained advocacy efforts, cooking gas has not entered Gaza for over six months and is now unavailable in local markets. Firewood has also become increasingly unaffordable. Many people are reduced to using waste and scrap wood as alternative cooking sources, exacerbating health and environmental risks.

Response

• Nutrition Cluster partners continue to actively screen children for early detection and treatment of acute malnutrition. In August, out of approximately 95,000 children screened, 12,800 were diagnosed with acute malnutrition and enrolled for treatment. Compared to July, when over 150,000 children were screened and 13,000 diagnosed with acute malnutrition, the case identification rate has spiked from 8.3 to 13.5 per cent. In Gaza city, the percentage has reached 19 per cent, meaning nearly one in five children is affected. Alarmingly, the severity of cases has also increased, with over 23 per cent of malnourished children suffering from the most severe form in August, compared with a ratio of 1 in 8 back in February.
• In the first half of September, UNICEF dispatched to partners 201,528 packs of ready-to-use nutrient-rich baby food, sufficient to support over 63,000 infants and young children for two weeks, and 10,000 boxes of High Energy Biscuits (HEBs) to assist more than 10,000 acutely malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) for one month.

Challenges

• WFP’s Blanket and Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programmes remain on hold due to the lack of Medium-Quantity Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (LNS-MQ). In August, in the absence of such supplies, only 36,000 children and 21,000 PBW were supported with second line prevention items (either Small Quantity LNS or HEB), provided by UNICEF, compared with the 290,000 children and 150 PBW in need.
• The escalating Israeli military operations in Gaza city and resulting high scale displacement is disrupting nutrition service delivery across the governorate. As of 13 September, 21 out of 50 treatment centers had already been reportedly closed, hindering the detection of new cases and jeopardizing follow-up care for an estimated 4,000 children already receiving treatment, placing them at increased risk of deterioration and life-threatening complications. Rising population influx in the south is also increasing pressure on already strained nutrition services available in Khan Younis and Deir Al Balah.

Response

• During the reporting period, WHO collected 44 trucks with 891 pallets of essential medical supplies into Gaza and dispatched 277 pallets to health facilities. A total of 120 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and emergency beds and four anesthesia machines were dispatched to the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah. WHO also conducted a field visit to the Emirati Field Hospital in Rafah, retrieving two truckloads of essential medicines for Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) and partner facilities.
• A total of 527 wheelchairs were collected into Gaza, of which 465, including 235 pediatric ones, were dispatched to the Ministry of Health and partners. These have been distributed to hospitals responding to mass casualty incidents to enhance site accessibility and create a more inclusive, disability-friendly environment. A portion of these wheelchairs will also be allocated to priority patients who are the sole survivors in their families and whose social circumstances warrant urgent support. More than 13,000 assistive devices are currently needed for patients on the waiting lists.
• UNFPA distributed contraceptive pills, and ten types of Inter-Agency Reproductive Health (IARH) Kits to support an estimated 3,849 PBW, newborns and women and girls of reproductive age across the Gaza Strip. UNFPA also continues monitoring daily deliveries across health facilities to assess trends and ensure adequate stocks of medical supplies and consumables. Between 8 and 11 September, 188 deliveries were recorded across the four Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CeMONC) facilities in Gaza city, including 53 cesarean sections. From January to August 2025, 27,857 deliveries were recorded across the Strip, an average of 3,482 per month, with 6,727, or 24 per cent, of the total being cesarean sections.
• The UNRWA Japanese Health Center in Khan Younis was re-opened and is now providing comprehensive health services, including for non-communicable diseases.
• The Al-Awda Health and Community Association inaugurated the Al-Awda Field Maternity Hospital in An Nuseirat, funded by UNFPA, MedGlobal, and Human Concern International (HCI). Across the Gaza Strip, there are currently 13 CeMONC facilities, nine Neonatal ICUs, 55 delivery beds, alongside 87 medical points and primary healthcare centers providing Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) outpatient services. Since the collapse of the ceasefire in March, 80 medical points and PHCs providing SRH outpatient services have been affected, with 65 still non-functional.
• As of 10 September, 27 EMTs continued to provide surgical, emergency and non-communicable disease services across Gaza, with over 3.4 million consultations, 49,790 surgeries, and 172,148 trauma cases treated since January 2024.
• As of 13 September, 88 Health Cluster partners remained operational in Gaza, with 75 directly supporting 207 of the 236 still partially functioning health facilities across the Strip, including 18 hospitals, 10 field hospitals, 66 PHCs, and 113 medical points.
• During the reporting period, 30 critical patients alongside 98 companions were medically evacuated to Jordan, the United Kingdom, and Türkiye.
• Fifty health service providers were trained on Essential Newborn Care (EENC), 27 providers on Integrated Management of Child Health (IMCH), and 26 on Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH), Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and child protection. Twenty-nine physiotherapists were also trained on rehabilitation in limb reconstruction and emergencies.

Challenges

• Forty-six per cent of hospitals and field hospitals are located in Gaza city, accounting for 36 per cent of total in-patient bed capacity and nearly 50 per cent of all intensive care beds in the Gaza Strip. If health service points become inaccessible due to displacement orders and the intensifying military offensive, critical health services will become unavailable. Between 8 and 13 September, at least 10 PHCs and medical points were forced to suspend their services for at least one day or more due to insecurity.
• The requirement for partners operating in Gaza city to coordinate all movements with the Israeli authorities represents a major challenge, as missions are being frequently denied, leaving health care workers unable to reach their clinics.
• Hospitals and health care facilities also continue to be hit and damaged due to their proximity to locations that are under bombardment, leading to a loss of functionality and access to key medical equipment.
• Key asks by the Health Cluster at this critical point are the protection of health care workers and health facilities, and safe and unimpeded access for humanitarian health service delivery.

Response

• During the reporting period, over 35 WASH Cluster partners continued water trucking operations to supply safe drinking water across the Gaza Strip.
• Despite limited access in the north, partners remain committed to service delivery and are adapting to displacement trends, prioritizing the western areas of Gaza city. In central and southern Gaza, daily water supply is being scaled up, including to key reception points. A coordination workshop held on 9 September engaged over 30 partners to improve water trucking effectiveness.
• The UNICEF-led Subsidized Water Scheme is progressing, with selected private desalination plants receiving consumables to enhance safe water production and distribution. Five new plants have been added in the southern governorates, while the system remains functional in northern Gaza. This initiative allows partners to access water at reduced costs, expanding coverage.
• The newly inaugurated trunkline connecting the UAE-funded seawater desalination plant on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing to southern Gaza provides a vital new water source, though in the reporting period it only worked at nearly a fifth of its intended delivery capacity.
• On 13 September, the Bani Suhaila Mekorot water line supplying Khan Younis was also repaired after a month-long outage, allowing water trucking to resume.
• Increased fuel availability has enabled partners in central and southern Gaza to scale up waste collection and the safe disposal of over 1,280 cubic metres of waste daily across five controlled dumping sites. Due to restricted access to official landfills, temporary sites are being used to manage accumulated waste and maintain public health standards. In Gaza city, however, solid waste management operations remain limited due to access and infrastructure constraints, with safe disposal currently not feasible.
• Nine field laboratories are operational, providing essential support for water quality testing and public health protection.
• With hygiene supplies now entering Gaza, WASH Cluster partners distributed 1,000 hygiene kits, 1,500 cleaning kits, and 1,500 water storage kits during the reporting period.

Challenges

• Intense military operations and the blanket displacement order issued for northern Gaza have critically affected WASH services. The fuel supply chain has been disrupted, Mekorot filling stations are inaccessible, while access to multiple ground water wells and to the Firas Market - the only dumping site in Gaza city - has been lost.
• Displacement towards the western part of Gaza city has created severe challenges for water trucking and solid waste collection. Congestion and traffic jams are limiting operations and reducing the ability to conduct multiple trips.
• The Sheikh Radwan Pond, Gaza city’s main rainwater basin, remains inaccessible and is now contaminated with untreated sewage, posing serious flood and health risks.
• The Mekorot water line from Israel in Bani Saeed, Deir al Balah, has been non-functional since January, with repairs still ongoing.
• The Southern Gaza Desalination Plant remains operational but has been facing repeated power disruptions, the latest of which on 13 September, forcing reliance on fuel-intensive backup generators.
• Restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities on the entry of reverse osmosis membranes, cartridge filters, oil, generators, pipes, and other essential components continue to severely hinder WASH partners’ ability to maintain critical services.
• Fleet management for water trucking and solid waste operations is nearly impossible due to the lack of preventive maintenance. Only 20 per cent of the solid waste fleet is currently operational, with urgent needs for new vehicles, tires, batteries, and spare parts.
• Limited availability of hygiene items in the market is restricting access to essential supplies for the population. In some areas of the Gaza Strip, a single bottle of dishwashing liquid can cost up to US$30.

Response

• Mine Action: Mine Action partners conducted four Explosive Hazard Assessments (EHAs) and provided Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) support to five inter-agency missions with UNICEF, UNDP, OCHA, WFP, and UNOPS. Partners also conducted 717 Explosive Ordnance Risk Education & Conflict Preparedness and Protection (EORE-CPP) sessions, targeting 22,048 beneficiaries in Deir al Balah, Khan Younis and Gaza. Since October 2023, 123 Explosive Ordnance (EO) incidents with 160 victims (18 killed, 142 injured) have been reported.
• Gender-Based Violence (GBV) - Partners have continued to deliver life-saving services despite escalating insecurity in Gaza. The intensification of hostilities has significantly increased risks of GBV, including domestic violence and early marriage. During the reporting period, five Women and Girls’ Safe Spaces (WGSSs) were destroyed in Gaza city, and staff were killed. The Gaza Safe Shelter for survivors of GBV remains partially functional, but seven high-risk cases were relocated to a similar shelter in the south for continued services and protection.
• Operating through the remaining nine Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSSs) and mobile teams across Gaza, GBV partners provided:
  • case management for 74 GBV survivors, including persons with disabilities;
  • legal aid services through awareness sessions, consultations, and court support for 527 women;
  • Psychological First Aid (PFA) for 216 women and girls, referrals for 44 cases identified through helpline calls and psychiatric care for 19 people, structured psychosocial support for 456 women and 127 girls, alongside awareness services for 2,584 women;
  • survival and relocation assistance for the staff and offices of three new Women-Led Organizations (WLOs), enabling continued service delivery despite displacement, exhaustion, and resource constraints; and
  • training on PSEA risk mitigation and on strengthening interagency referral pathways for 23 healthcare staff in coordination with the PSEA Network and Child Protection partners.
• At the Reception Point set up on Al Rasheed Road, a help desk was established in coordination with the Protection Cluster to provide PFA, safe identification and referral of survivors, and awareness raising on available services.
• In coordination with the Shelter Cluster, partners also distributed 10 tents to displaced women and girls at heightened risk, alongside food parcels through the Saudi Center for Cultural Heritage. Additionally, 921 dignity/Menstrual Health Management kits were distributed with UNFPA support.
• Child Protection (CP) – Child Protection actors provided case management services to over 900 children at risk of abuse, neglect, or separation, ensuring appropriate specialized care and referrals.
• Family tracing and reunification efforts continued, with 15 children successfully reunified with families and caregivers. In addition, 39 children with disabilities received nutritional supplements and fortified food, while 1,000 vulnerable children received dignity kits.
• Child protection partners also reached over 6,890 children and 2,013 caregivers with critical mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services, distributed around 6,000 psycho-social support kits to children across shelters and displacement sites, and reached over 24,000 people with awareness raising and community engagement on child protection risks and mitigation measures, parenting support, prevention of family separation and PSEA, and child safeguarding and positive coping strategies —averaging approximately 3,516 people per day.
• Due to the ongoing escalation in Gaza city, 18 child protection service points and safe spaces have suspended operations and 11 have been relocated to safer locations, either within Gaza city or to the south, including Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. On the other hand, three child protection help desks have been established at reception and monitoring points in southern Gaza to provide immediate support to the most vulnerable children. On 11 September alone, 15 children with urgent protection concerns (separated, orphaned, or injured) received support or referrals.
• Legal Task Force (LTF) – LTF partners have coordinated closely during the reporting period to ensure continued service delivery, amid movement restrictions and severe access constraints, including:
  • case management and legal assistance, civil documentation, capacity development and training.
  • awareness-raising activities targeting communities that may be newly affected by displacement, with guidance on safeguarding essential Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) and civil documentation.
  • The launch of a new online Detainee Tracing Platform which enables families and authorized representatives to submit tracing requests online, track progress securely, and communicate digitally with lawyers

Challenges

• Access to protection service points remains highly restricted, while needs far exceed available human and financial resources. Persistent shortages of specialized staff, coupled with limited and unpredictable funding, are further compounded by rising safety risks for both personnel and beneficiaries. Service continuity is also hindered by fuel scarcity, infrastructure damage, and mobility restrictions.
• Critical gaps persist in the availability of assistive devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, and hearing aids, affecting persons with disabilities, including children. Other urgent unmet needs include diapers, infant formula, tents for vulnerable families, and fuel to support service relocation and mobile team deployment. Lack of dignity kits and menstrual hygiene management items remain a critical gap for women and girls.
• Escalating hostilities and the destruction of safe spaces have reduced access points for women and girls, compounding GBV risks, while movement restrictions, fuel shortages, and rising costs continue to limit survivors’ ability to safely and consistently access services.

Response

• During tthe reporting period, one Shelter partner distributed 899 tents to the most vulnerable newly displaced households, prioritizing cases referred by the Protection Cluster in the Deir al Balah and Khan Younis areas. Overall, between 16 August, when Israeli authorities lifted the ban on the entry of shelter items, and 13 September, the UN and partners collected 1,443 tents into Gaza.
• Beyond tents already collected into the Strip, 34 trucks carrying 4,008 tents have been dispatched from Jordan. In preparation to receive them, partners have started compiling potential beneficiary lists based on the Shelter Cluster’s recently published Targeting and Prioritization Guidance, ensuring a more effective and timely response amid massive needs.

Challenges

• Despite rising needs in the north, Shelter Cluster partners remain unable to respond due to the continued ban on the entry of materials into norther Gaza. To date, 18 rejections have been reported across 8 partners. While some were linked to allocations planned for the north, most were due to registration constraints affecting INGOs.

Response

• During the reporting period, Cash Working Group (CWG) partners distributed Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) to 5,870 households, prioritizing newly displaced families or those identified as being highly vulnerable through their individual programme databases. Each household received 1,000 NIS (approximately US$295), delivered via payment codes or direct transfers to their digital wallets. This brings to at least 219,679 the number of households in Gaza that received at least one MPCA installment thus far in 2025, with 291,950 payments issued in total by CWG members since the start of the year.

Challenges

• Ongoing liquidity shortages, combined with limited transportation caused by soaring fuel prices and movement restrictions, continued to impede MPCA recipients’ ability to access the few goods available inside the Gaza Strip.
• Price deviations based on payment method remain significant, with digital payments costing between 17 and 66 per cent more compared with using cash.

Response

• The Site Management Cluster continues to monitor displacement movements from northern to southern Gaza through three operational Flow Monitoring Points (FMPs)—two located in Khan Younis and one in Deir Al Balah. These points operate daily from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and are strategically positioned to capture population movements along displacement corridors. The data collected informs humanitarian planning and response coordination, helping to identify urgent needs and trends in displacement. During the reporting period, nearly 150,000 north-to-south displacement movements were recorded, primarily involving people traveling on trucks, cars, donkey carts and tuk-tuks, with vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities among those observed.
• In coordination with other Clusters, Site Management partners have also equipped the flow monitoring point on Al Rasheed Road as Reception Point, where immediate humanitarian support is provided to people on the move, including distribution of potable water, provision of child protection and specialized GBV services.

Challenges

• Severe overcrowding in displacement sites is increasingly making it difficult to manage crowds during distributions. During water trucking operations, the lack of space and high demand often lead to chaotic scenes and agitated crowds, posing serious risks to both staff and displaced populations and undermining dignified provision of humanitarian assistance.
• Due to insecurity and access restrictions, Site Management partners can only track movements observed at the three flow monitoring points during daylight hours, with data collected likely to represent only a portion of the true scale of displacement.

Response

• During the reporting period, 38 new Temporary Learning Spaces (TLSs) were established, of which 10 in Deir al Balah, 11 in Khan Younis, 11 in Gaza city, and two in North Gaza. Operations in the newly established spaces in the north however remain suspended due to insecurity, while those in the south are ongoing.
• To strengthen preparedness, 252 teachers and partners in the south have received training on how to react to evacuation orders. Similar sessions are planned for the north when security allows.

Challenges

• The blanket displacement order affecting all of northern Gaza forced at least 95 functional TLSs (89 in Gaza city, 6 in North Gaza) serving about 25,000 school-aged children to suspend operations; this is in addition to 44 previously closed learning spaces, further limiting access to in-person learning for an estimated 280,000 people in the north. Presently, only 202 of 705 TLSs remain functional.
• Between 4 and 13 September, at least seven airstrikes impacted four UNRWA and three Palestinian Authority schools serving as shelters for displaced households, six in Gaza city and one in Khan Younis.
• Entry restrictions on educational supplies continue to block pre-positioned shipments needed to establish or expand alternative learning spaces.
• Restrictions on electronic devices have affected the administration of the Tawjihi (secondary school completion) exams. Of about 35,000 expected candidates, only around 28,000 sat the exams primarily due to the lack of electronic devices to prepare and complete the test. At least 8,000 tablets remain in the Ministry of Education’s warehouse in Ramallah, pending clearance to enter Gaza.
• Funding shortfalls persist. By the end of August, at least 166 learning spaces had closed, and insufficient teacher incentives continue to undermine retention and the ability to sustain services.

Response

• ETC is working with Gaza telecommunication operators to enhance emergency readiness and sustain services amid escalating access constraints in Gaza city. Activities include securing spare part equipment, ensuring site access, and assessing risks such as fibre cuts and service outages.
• Local providers (Jawwal-Paltel, Ooredoo) continue to provide around 96 per cent of all services, including mobile/SMS and fixed internet, for free since October 2023; this connectivity is mission-critical for coordination of movements, service messaging, delivery of cash/e-wallet assistance, public access to first responders, tele-health and mental-health support, life-saving alerts and GBV referrals, online learning, PSEA reporting, and remote assessments and logistics tracking.
• Following exhaustion of the US$1.2 million fuel support for the telecommunications sector on 29 August and no new funding secured to date, ETC is actively engaging with partners in an effort to mobilize additional resources to sustain critical communications services.

Challenges

• Connectivity for the public and humanitarian operations remains volatile due to infrastructure damage, recurrent cuts from bombardment, restricted access to materials, equipment and staff, and basic-services gaps affecting telecom personnel—reducing operational communications and public access to life-saving information. Restrictions on the entry of equipment continue to hinder ETC’s ability to implement planned services and alternative solutions, including secure radio communications.

Response

• Between 31 August and 13 September, the Cluster collected 608 pallets of aid into Gaza from the Erez West (Zikim) crossing on behalf of one partner, while no cargo collection was possible from the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem (KS/KAS) platform.
• During the reporting period, the Logistics Cluster facilitated access to two Government-to-Government (G2G) convoys from Jordan for a total of 10 trucks carrying food items on behalf of one partner, alongside nine trucks that were pending to cross from a previous convoy; all offloaded at Erez West (Zikim). In addition, two Back-to-Back (B2B) convoys were facilitated for a total of 14 trucks carrying WASH and health items on behalf of three partners, which offloaded at the KS/KAS platform.

Challenges

• Logistics Cluster-facilitated transport operations from KS/KAS and Erez West (Zikim) continue to face persistent security incidents inside Gaza leading to vast commodity losses.
• G2G convoys are currently ongoing, although at reduced capacity in light of multiple challenges and delays due to Israeli authorities’ inspection requirements. With the full displacement order of Gaza city recently issued, future convoys are contingent upon the status of Erez West (Zikim) crossing.
• While health and food items were previously eligible for transport to Gaza from Jordan via B2B modality, the Israeli authorities are currently only authorizing shelter items to be dispatched without Israeli security escorts. The Cluster continues to advocate for the inclusion of all humanitarian items – including critical food and health items.
• The West Bank route remains restricted with the intermittent closure of the crossing and limitations on the number of trucks and item types. Only health and limited food items from a few organizations are currently authorized via this route. Recent requests to mobilize trucks with tents and WASH items - including hygiene kits - were rejected by the Israeli authorities. Since the partial resumption of aid entry on 19 May and as of 13 September, only five organizations had been allowed to send 136 trucks of food and health items to KS/KAS.
• The scanning capacity in Ashdod continues to be severely affected by Israeli authorities’ requirement for physical inspection of all containers, significantly limiting the daily volume of aid that can be cleared.

Protection against sexual abuse and exploitation (PSEA) remains a cross-cutting priority for all clusters. Aid distribution must be delivered with dignity and respect. Any wrongdoing can be reported through SAWA’s toll-free number 164. SAWA will assist and provide services free of charge and with the utmost confidentiality.

The AAP Working Group is currently reconfiguring the Humanitarian Service Directory which provides information on aid services, helplines, and key messages, and is available via hyperlink and QR code.

* Asterisks indicate that a figure, sentence, or section has been rectified, added, or retracted after the initial publication of this update.