Gaza Humanitarian Response Update | 6 – 19 July 2025

Response

• As of 20 July, 16 partners delivered 158,000 cooked meals through 64 kitchens – 100,000 meals in the north and 58,000 meals in central and southern Gaza. This is a drop of more than 70,000 daily meals compared with 19 July due to the suspension of operations by the World Central Kitchen (WCK), a key Food Security Sector (FSS) partner, after running out of supplies and the issuance of a displacement order on 20 July in Deir al Balah that forced four community kitchens to close, leaving only three operational in the affected area.
• On 20 July,* the World Food Programme (WFP) resumed the collection of cargo from both Zikim crossing in northern Gaza, which had been last paused since 13 July, and Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza, which had been last paused since 4 July. In northern Gaza, according to WFP, the 25-truck convoy encountered large crowds of civilians waiting to access food supplies and, as the convoy approached, the surrounding crowd came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire, resulting in a large number of casualties. On 21 July, WFP paused convoy movements through Zikim crossing.
• Partners continue to deliver key messages through community leaders and other stakeholders in response to continued looting and offloading of cargo by desperate crowds along aid convoy routes that have disrupted deliveries to partners’ warehouses. Messages emphasize the role of communities’ support and trust in safe and secure aid delivery, including through encouraging civilians not to approach convoy routes to allow for the safe and uninterrupted movement of trucks to warehouses to enable proper distributions. Once supplies reach warehouses, distributions can take place through established mechanisms to eventually reach all households as incoming supplies are insufficient to address all needs at once. Overall, only a massive scale-up in food aid distributions can stabilize the situation and rebuild trust within communities

Challenges

• Available data from FSS partners shows a continued deterioration in food insecurity, with a persistent risk of famine. Families generally survive on a single nutritiously poor meal per day, and in some cases, people go entire days without eating. To survive, people are forced to resort to increasingly desperate and undignified coping strategies ranging from fasting to reducing meal size, rationing bread for children, borrowing, begging, and scavenging for food from garbage. Despite this, families are increasingly unable to protect their most vulnerable members from the impacts of food deprivation. Alarmingly, many interviewed households reported that family members risked their lives trying to secure food from militarized distribution sites or humanitarian convoys, often without success. Food availability remains limited and access to these limited quantities remains challenging due to disruptions of deliveries to warehouses (see above) and exorbitant prices. For example, at one point during the reporting period, a one-kilogram bag of flour surged to over US$100 in local markets and prices continued to fluctuate.
• The current volume and pace of deliveries remain critically insufficient to meet the needs of Gaza's entire population, who are facing deteriorating, prolonged and high levels of acute food insecurity. Combined with looting, offloading of cargo by civilians along aid convoy routes, and shooting at civilians along convoy routes and at militarized distribution points, these conditions continue to result in mass casualties, place community members, partners’ staff, drivers and assets at high risk, and disrupt deliveries to partners’ warehouses for their onward distribution safely and fairly to meet humanitarian needs. At the same time, cargo movement requires fuel, which remains available only in limited quantities across the Gaza Strip. Consistent, frequent and large-scale food deliveries through multiple crossings are urgently required to meet needs and stabilize availability, pricing, and affordability of wheat flour and other basic staples as well as reduce tensions and rebuild trust within communities. The sector also continues to advocate for no armed presence near convoy routes or civilian aid distribution points.
• Depletion of supplies, displacement orders and increased civil unrest continue to undermine the ability of partners to provide cooked meals through community kitchens. All UN-supported bakeries remain closed.

Response

• As of 20 July, a total of 218 children with severe acute malnutrition and medical complications were receiving treatment at stabilization centres in Gaza, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates, including 29 admitted in July. Ten (10) child deaths from severe acute malnutrition have been reported by partners in July, increasing the overall death toll reported by partners in 2025 to 17. The number of child deaths from acute malnutrition is increasing daily. Malnutrition in children in Gaza is driven by poor diets, inadequate feeding and caregiving practices, and limited access to essential health and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services – all of which are severely compromised in the current context. A severely malnourished child is over ten times more likely to die than a well-nourished peer. Beyond the immediate risk to life, the consequences for those who survive can be long-lasting: malnutrition during early childhood can impair brain development, weaken the immune system, reduce the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, and hinder both cognitive and physical growth – affecting their well-being far into the future.
• During the first two weeks of July 2025, nutrition partners screened 56,440 children for malnutrition across the Gaza Strip. Among them, 4,984 were identified with acute malnutrition, including 838 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. This reflects a concerning upward trend; the overall rate of acute malnutrition among screened children increased from 2.4 per cent in February to 6 per cent in June and 8.8 per cent in July. Meanwhile, the rate of severe acute malnutrition cases rose from 1 per cent in June to 1.5 per cent in July. A particularly alarming situation was observed in Gaza city: out of 14,747 children screened in July, 16 per cent were identified to suffer from acute malnutrition, including 348 with severe acute malnutrition – this marks a sharp increase from the 4 per cent malnutrition rate in Gaza city in February 2025.
• Based on the most recent dietary diversity survey carried out in June, over 95 per cent of children consumed two or fewer out of eight food groups, an alarming deterioration when compared with 60 per cent of children in this situation in February.
• Acute malnutrition levels are rising, affecting not only children who are under five years of age and within the Nutrition Cluster’s scope, but also older children and adults. Proxy prevalence levels – or the indicator showing the percentage of children in a population considered acutely malnourished -- have reached critical thresholds, as evidenced by recent screening findings.
• The Nutrition Cluster, in collaboration with the FSS, is currently preparing to conduct an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Alert to reflect the current nutritional and food security situation. This is driven by the continued deterioration of key factors contributing to malnutrition and food insecurity since the last IPC analysis in May 2025.

Challenges

• Supply shortages are among the main challenges to sustaining nutrition programmes. On 19 July 2025, an attempt by UNICEF to deliver 10 trucks of ready-to-use infant formula, which can support over 3,600 babies for a month, was intercepted by desperate crowds en route from Kerem Shalom crossing to the warehouse in Deir al Balah.
• Recurrent displacement orders continue to disrupt sustained and continuous nutrition service delivery. The displacement order issued recently on 20 July forced four partners to suspend services at six sites providing malnutrition treatments and nutritional supplements in Deir al Balah, further hindering access to essential nutrition support.

Response

• Partners continue to provide primary and secondary health care services and responding to mass causality incidents across the Gaza strip with limited resources, including lack of medicine and medical supplies.
• A health cluster partner launched an awareness campaign on meningitis to educate families and caregivers on the signs, symptoms, and prevention of the disease.
• Between 7 and 13 July, 21 international and two national partner organizations deployed emergency medical teams (EMTs) across the Gaza Strip, working on surgery and emergency care.
• Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza city used high-performance tents to expand capacity by 60 beds in the hospital’s front yard. A cluster partner also supported the hospital in setting up an additional operating theatre.
• There are currently 82 active partners, of which 55 are managing 199 health service facilities across the Gaza Strip. These include 18 hospitals, 10 field hospitals, 62 primary health care centres (PHCs), and 109 medical points.

Challenges

• Between 13 and 19 July, there was an increase in reported acute watery diarrhea cases, now accounting for 44 per cent of all reported illnesses – up from 39 per cent in the preceding week – with hospital visits confirming a sharp rise in admissions for severe dehydration. It was also reported that cases of acute jaundice syndrome and bloody diarrhea are on the rise due to lack of vaccination, rising malnutrition, water scarcity, accumulation of solid waste, and overburdened or damaged sewage systems.
• Rehabilitation services have been significantly scaled back at all levels due to critical shortages of consumables and assistive devices, with rehabilitation patients prematurely discharged into overwhelmed community settings. For example, Al Amal hospital only has 20 rehabilitation beds, with a 300-person waitlist, reflecting an 11-month backlog.
• Between 11 and 20 July, multiple displacement orders in Gaza have severely impacted health services. In total, four hospitals, nine PHCs, and 11 medical points are located within designated displacement areas. Additionally, seven hospitals, one field hospital, three ambulance centres, 16 PHCs, and 19 medical points are located within 1,000 meters of these displacement zones, placing them at high risk of disruption. Subsequently, six PHCs, including three that provided sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, and three medical points were forced to suspend services.
• Fuel shortages are critically impacting the health system. Out of 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip, 18 (50 per cent) are partially functional, in addition to 10 field hospitals, with capacity of 1,913 inpatient beds and 83 ICU beds, serving two million people. These facilities are heavily dependent on fuel to operate generators that power essential medical equipment required for the delivery of critical and life-saving secondary healthcare services. Hospitals such as Al Shifa are beginning to shut down some services due to the lack of fuel for generators, which power essential medical equipment. Moreover, less than 50 ambulances remain operational, all of which rely on fuel for transporting patients and injured people.
• The comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care facilities and neonatal intensive care units are operating far beyond capacity, particularly in Gaza city. For instance, one facility reported a 200 per cent overcapacity in maternity and neonatal intensive care unit beds.
• SRH partners reported an increase in acute and severe malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding women, with one partner observing an increase in acute malnutrition among pregnant breastfeeding women at their clinic from 20 per cent to 27 per cent.
• Five new Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) cases were reported last week, bringing the cumulative total in 2025 to 28 cases. Environmental samples were collected in July from three out of four designated sites in Gaza city and Deir al Balah while sampling from the Khan Younis site was not possible due to displacement orders. Environmental samples and samples collected from AFP cases were dispatched to the referral laboratories on 10 July.

Response

• Child Protection – Between 6 and 18 July, Child Protection Area of Responsibility (CP AoR) partners provided psychosocial support to approximately 7,000 children in Gaza city, Deir al Balah, and Khan Younis through individual and group sessions, counselling, and recreational activities. More than 2,000 caregivers were also reached with structured supportive parenting and psychosocial support sessions. During the same period, with support from UNICEF, CP AoR partners continued family tracing and reunification efforts, successfully reuniting 40 children with their families and caregivers. Moreover, between 14 and 19 July, CP AoR and UNICEF conducted a five-day child protection case management training in Gaza city, enhancing the capacities of 30 frontline caseworkers. On 15 July, CP AoR released a report entitled "Children in Crisis" to highlight the critical risks facing children in the Gaza Strip and advocate for the urgent need for child protection interventions.
• Mine Action – During the reporting period, Mine Action (MA) partners only carried out activities critical to programing. However, to support humanitarian efforts and reduce safety risks in affected communities, MA partners participated in one inter-agency mission and conducted one explosive hazard assessment during the reporting period, offering technical expertise to ensure safer humanitarian operations. Furthermore, MA partners conducted 519 Explosive Ordnance Risk Education – Conflict Preparedness and Protection (EORE – CPP) sessions, reaching 16,306 people (8,797 women and 7,509 men) in Gaza, Deir al Balah, and Khan Younis governorates. Since October 2023, 108 EO-related incidents have been documented, resulting in 14 fatalities and 126 injuries, of whom 70 (both killed and injured) were children.
• Housing, Land and Property - The Housing, Land and Property Technical Working Group (HLP TWG) is launching a service mapping exercise in collaboration with all clusters to identify and compile a comprehensive list of actors currently providing HLP-related legal and other services in Gaza. This mapping aims to strengthen coordination and information sharing, identify service gaps, and inform advocacy. The official HLP TWG webpage serves as a central reference point for all technical guidance, tools, meeting minutes, and key documents.
• Between 27 June and 10 July, UNRWA's protection teams carried out 35 protection observations, 38 key informant interviews and 26 focus group discussions in Khan Younis (including Al Mawasi), Deir al Balah, and Gaza city as well as remotely (via phone) in North Gaza. The teams also continued to facilitate referrals to specialized services. During the same period, UNRWA teams delivered 88 awareness-raising sessions on child protection, EORE, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), reaching 2,875 displaced people.
• Gender-based violence – During the reporting period, gender-based violence (GBV) AoR partners reached 7,800 women through activities held at 17 Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS) in Gaza, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates, offering women and girls a safe environment for stress relief, informal peer support, and accessing GBV-related information. This included 998 participants reached with group counselling, 200 women supported with cash assistance through the case management process, and the rest supported with psychosocial support activities, including peer-to-peer support, drawing, painting and listening sessions, to relieve stress and facilitate recovery from traumatic experiences. To better support partners in navigating the disrupted service environment, updated referral maps were disseminated. During the same period, 990 men were reached with awareness raising sessions focused on GBV risk mitigation and referral pathways. Furthermore, a youth hub managed by a national NGO in Khan Younis delivered 13 life skills training sessions to 62 young people aged 18 to 24 years, covering communication, decision-making, gender equality and self-awareness. The Arabic version of the Guidance Note for GBV Case Managers in Gaza: Understanding and Responding to the Link between Food Scarcity and Gender-Based Violence was published and was accompanied by an orientation session to caseworkers. Another orientation session was organized on the integration of GBV risk mitigation into shelter programming.

Challenges

• Protection risks facing displaced families remain acute. According to monitoring conducted by UNRWA teams, families continue to face insecurity, repeated waves of displacement, overcrowding, chronic hunger, restricted access to health care services, and ongoing shortages of adequate shelter, clean water, and essential non-food items. Prolonged exposure to violence, instability, and displacement continue to have a cumulative impact on the psychosocial wellbeing of both adults and children.
• Overcrowded shelters, inadequate privacy, and lack of basic supplies are increasing GBV risks, including harassment and intimate partner violence, especially for women and adolescent girls. Severe food insecurity continues to drive negative coping mechanisms, including exploitation and early marriage. Many survivors remain unable to access services due to displacement, relocation, and interrupted referral pathways.
• Children are increasingly at risk of neglect, child labour, and other forms of exploitation. CP AoR partners report a marked increase in incidents of physical abuse, public accusations, and severe domestic violence, with some children requiring hospitalization. A notable case occurred in Gaza city involving a seven-year-old child falsely accused of theft and severely beaten. Negative coping mechanisms are also increasing significantly, including child labor, street begging, and hazardous activities, such as rubble clearing, carrying heavy loads, scavenging in unsafe areas, crossing into militarized zones to access basic needs, chasing or approaching moving aid trucks to retrieve supplies, and standing in long queues at volatile distribution points. Children have also been killed or injured during looting incidents, at militarized distribution sites and while offloading humanitarian aid cargo from trucks along convoy routes.
• The ability to distribute in-kind assistance by UNRWA teams is rapidly deteriorating due to the depletion of supplies, including sanitary pads, baby diapers, water cans and soap. During the reporting period, only four people received assistance, compared with seven in the previous reporting period, and 236 people one month ago.
• Staff providing essential services are experiencing extreme physical and mental exhaustion due to ongoing military operations, recurrent displacement, limited coping mechanisms, and insufficient access to basic necessities, such as food and clean water. CP caseworkers and MHPSS facilitators report fainting due to the lack of food, inability to access office spaces or reliable internet, and loss of peer support and coping spaces. Aid workers also continue to face risks to their personal safety. A critical incident occurred during the reporting period when a child protection facilitator was severely injured by a bullet, resulting in paraplegia.
• Access constraints continue to hinder service provision and the ability of aid actors to operate safely and effectively. During the reporting period, MA actors reported that eight inter-agency missions they were part of were denied and four had to be withdrawn for logistical, operational, or security reasons.
• Fuel shortages continue to disrupt service delivery. Vehicles remain largely grounded, severely restricting rapid response capacity, compromising access to essential services, and limiting group activities (e.g. MHPSS sessions, awareness raising, parenting support). CP partners report that over 300 caseworkers now walk for hours to access more than 220 sites across the Strip and have restricted their movement to twice per week to carry out urgent in-person follow-ups and referrals.

Response

• During the reporting period, Shelter Cluster partners distributed Emergency Shelter Kits to 59 families in Gaza city, with technical assistance provided to support proper installation. Another partner distributed clothing vouchers to support 2,900 newly displaced families in Gaza city, out of the planned target of 7,200 families, enabling them to purchase adult and children's clothing from local markets.
• Cluster partners continue to carry out assessments of priority needs at displacement sites. In Gaza city, a partner completed a remote assessment by phone to assess needs at 44 displacement sites hosting 6,597 households in Gaza city. Site focal points at 43 out of 44 sites reported serious shelter needs, with about 11 per cent of households (683 households) lacking any form of shelter. In addition to food and water, the top three non-food priority needs highlighted by focal points are hygiene kits, tents, and tarpaulins. In Deir al Balah, the same partner carried out remote assessments at 43 displacement sites, where hygiene kits and household items, particularly bedding and kitchen sets, were identified as the most urgently needed items after food and where the number of reported cases of families without any form of shelter was significantly lower than in Gaza city.

Challenges

• There are no shelter items available in stock across the Gaza Strip, preventing partners from addressing needs and growing requests for assistance. Since 2 March, no shelter or non-food items have been allowed to enter Gaza through crossing points, leaving partners with no means to replenish depleted stocks. The few shelter materials that are available on the local market are prohibitively expensive and limited in quantity, placing them out of reach for most families. At the same time, overcrowded displacement sites and restricted physical access to affected areas further hinder the ability of shelter cluster partners to deliver aid.
• The situation is compounded by ongoing airstrikes, displacement orders, and growing insecurity, which have not only displaced families repeatedly but have also forced many humanitarian workers to relocate, reducing operational capacity at a time of rising need.
• Several factors are driving a rapid expansion of the gap in coverage of shelter needs, including: the short lifespan of previously distributed shelter items (3-6 months); growing displacement, the repeated disassembly and reassembly of shelters, and the associated loss or abandonment of shelter items; overcrowding in already fragile shelters; and harsh weather conditions and humidity that accelerate the deterioration of shelter materials. According to the most recent assessment carried out by the Shelter Cluster on 7 July, an estimated 1.35 million people require emergency shelter items and 1.4 million need essential household items .. This is compared with 1.3 million estimated to require emergency shelter items and 1.3 million who needed essential household items in the last week of June (see dashboard).

Response

• With the support of Education Cluster partners, the Ministry of Education (MoE) carried out the first phase of the General Secondary Education Examinations (Tawjihi) on 19 July 2025, targeting students who missed their exams in 2023. Out of 1,816 registered students, 1,513 attended the first session, and another 595 attended the second session on the same day. The ability to roll out subsequent phases of the Tawjihi exams for about 78,000 students from 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 cohorts remain contingent on a ceasefire or humanitarian pauses. There is also a critical need to improve internet connectivity and facilitate the entry of tablets required to administer these exams.
• To support the access of children with disabilities to essential services, including Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS), one partner is operating a workshop in Gaza city that repairs and maintains assistive devices. With the ongoing blockade limiting the import of new devices into Gaza, this local repair capacity remains essential. The partner previously deployed a mobile team to conduct on-site repairs of wheelchairs and crutches for children, based on their condition and the availability of spare parts, but was forced to discontinue this service in early July due to fuel shortages. Over the past month, the partner has repaired seven out of 27 collected devices.
• The Cluster issued guidelines to support the integration of summer programme activities with informal learning. This blended approach aims to help children continue learning while benefiting from structured summer activities that promote routine and stability amid ongoing hostilities and displacement. The guidelines are available here.

Challenges

• Displacement orders continue to disrupt access to learning and summer programmes, putting children's well-being at risk and straining partners’ limited resources to establish alternative learning spaces. Between 6 and 19 July, 58 operational TLS, hosting 18,000 learners supported by 567 teachers, were forced to suspend activities due to new displacement orders; these include 13 TLS in Gaza governorate, four in North Gaza, and 41 in Khan Younis. This is in addition to the 56 TLS (serving 22,000 learners) already non-operational due to earlier displacement orders. Overall, 114 TLS are currently non-operational due to displacement orders and 161 due to the lack of funding. A total of 292 TLS serving 111,000 students remain operational, including 106 TLS in Gaza governorate, eight in North Gaza, 87 in Deir al Balah, and 91 in Khan Younis.
• The fuel crisis continues to severely hinder partners’ mobility and ability to carry out monitoring and supervision of TLS. Fuel shortages are also limiting the ability to pump and truck water to operational learning sites and to power generators.
• Strikes on schools continue to cause civilian casualties, infrastructure damage, and deter participation in learning activities due to fear of attacks. Between 6 and 19 July, at least 10 incidents involving airstrikes, shelling, and quadcopter strikes on schools were recorded, including one in North Gaza, four in Gaza city, four in Deir al Balah, and one in Khan Younis. Between 7 October 2023 and 22 July 2025, according to MoE, 16,237 students and 719 education personnel were killed, and 24,217 students and 3,064 education personnel were injured, some with severe, life-altering disabilities, further impacting their ability to access learning and essential services.

Response

• Since 13 July, a very limited number of trucks carrying nutrition items has crossed from Egypt and offloaded aid cargo at the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing. For the first time, Israeli customs clearance has been imposed on this route.
• Following the Israeli authorities’ re-authorisation on 7 July of the Erez West (Zikim) crossing for the entry of Government-to-Government (G2G) convoys from Jordan, three G2G convoys comprising 111 trucks carrying food aid have transported cargo to the Erez West (Zikim) crossing.

Challenges

• Since 27 June, due to continued severe insecurity across the Gaza Strip, the Logistics Cluster has not been able to facilitate partners’ cargo collection from crossing points. Very few partners have autonomously collected aid cargo from the crossings amid a deepening of the humanitarian crisis.
• Authorisations by Israeli authorities to move aid cargo from Jordan and the West Bank remain sporadic and unpredictable, with last-minute truck denials. Moreover, the processing capacity for trucks from Jordan at the King Hussein Bridge/Allenby and that at the Sheikh Hussein Bridge/Jordan River crossings fluctuates and is limited to a maximum of 29 trucks per day at the two crossings. With the resumption of G2G direct convoys through King Hussein Bridge/Allenby, the number of Back-to-Back convoys has become further limited.
• Israeli authorities continue to impose severe limitations on the type of cargo permitted for entry and the number of organizations authorized to move cargo to Gaza. Only seven organizations have been able to manifest cargo. Thus, humanitarian partners have paused the internal cargo prioritisation process, so that all cargo currently permitted for entry by Israeli authorities (health, nutrition, food, water treatment and hygiene supplies) can be manifested for Israeli authorities' approval.

Response

• On 17 July, ETC teams facilitated the entry of 24 Very High Frequency (VHF) radios (20 handheld and four vehicle radios) to enhance communication and coordination and improve staff security during UN field missions.
• On 20 July, the ETC assigned two additional satellite-based tracking devices for use by the United Nations to strengthen the monitoring of mission movements and enhance the safety and security of UN staff members.
• The ETC continues to advocate for the entry of sufficient fuel for the telecommunications sector in Gaza.
• For more information on ETC activities, please visit:Palestine: Conflict | Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) (etcluster.org).

Challenges

• The availability of fuel and engine oil remains limited, placing key telecommunications infrastructure at risk of shutting down and threatening to further disrupt humanitarian operations, jeopardize staff safety, and limit public access to emergency information. Despite limited fuel entry, as of 19 July, the two national telecommunications providers reported critically low fuel reserves, with remaining stocks expected to run out imminently.
• Continued restrictions on the entry of aid and other essentials have hindered the import of critically needed Information and Communications Technology (ICT) equipment. Combined with insufficient funding, this is severely constraining ETC's ability to deliver services needed to support humanitarian operations and access to life-saving information in Gaza.
• Access constraints within Gaza continue to impede access to vital telecommunications sites to conduct maintenance and repair activities.

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.

To promote accountability to affected people, the online Humanitarian Service Directory 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.