Humanitarian Situation Update #323 | Gaza Strip

The Humanitarian Situation Updates on the Gaza Strip and on the West Bank are both issued every Wednesday/Thursday. The Gaza Humanitarian Response Update is issued every other Tuesday. The next Humanitarian Situation Update on the Gaza Strip will be published on 24 or 25 September.

Key Highlights

• Eleven UNRWA premises serving as emergency shelters for about 11,000 displaced people in Gaza city have been damaged in five days.
• The massive destruction of civilian infrastructure, combined with severe disruptions to humanitarian operations and access constraints, is collapsing the last remaining lifelines for civilians in Gaza city.
• About half of more than 246,800 displacement movements recorded since mid-August took place over the past week, with growing reports of displaced families sleeping on the streets or in makeshift tents and struggling to survive.
• About 28,000 cases of acute malnutrition among children under five have been identified by nutrition partners in July and August, exceeding the combined total of malnutrition cases identified in the first six months of 2025.

Humanitarian Developments

• Over the past week, Israeli forces have continued to carry out heavy bombardment from the air, land and sea across the Gaza Strip, particularly in Gaza and North Gaza governorates. Israeli strikes on residential buildings (including high-rise buildings), tents and schools sheltering internally displaced people (IDPs), and people seeking aid have continued to be reported, alongside reports of the destruction of whole neighbourhoods through controlled detonations. On 10 September, the Israeli military reiterated its displacement order for all civilians in Gaza city to move towards a designated zone in Al Mawasi area. According to the Israeli military, a range of operational tools have been used to warn residents of Gaza city to evacuate, including voice messages, leaflets, text messages, and phone calls in order to reach as many people as possible. On 16 September, the Israeli military announced that it expanded on 15 September the ground operation in Gaza city, striking more than 850 targets over the past week, while continuing to operate in Rafah and Khan Younis. Combined with displacement orders, Israeli military ground operations and bombardment have continued to drive additional waves of displacement, particularly from Gaza city (see more information below).
• On 10 September, the UN Office of Human Rights (OHCHR) warned against attacks on residential buildings and objects indispensable to civilian life. On 16 September, the office issued a statement, reiterating its calls on Israel’s military to immediately put an end to its wanton destruction of Gaza city, which it says “appears to be focused on causing a permanent demographic shift, which is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.” OHCHR noted that “the ongoing bombings of residential buildings in Gaza City are destroying the last viable element of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, negating any prospect for the survival of civilians.”
• On 17 September, the leaders of over 20 major aid agencies working in Gaza, called on world leaders to urgently intervene, after the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, concluded that genocide is being committed. With entire cities razed to the ground, massive displacement, and famine spreading, they declared: “As humanitarian leaders, we have borne direct witness to the horrifying deaths and suffering of the people of Gaza. Our warnings have gone unheeded and thousands more lives are still at stake. ”They called on states to uphold international law and “use every available political, economic, and legal tool at their disposal to intervene.”
• According to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, between 10 and 17 September, 416 Palestinians were killed, and 2,194 were injured. This brings the casualty toll among Palestinians since 7 October 2023, as reported by MoH, to 65,062 fatalities and 165,697 injuries. MoH further noted that the number of casualties among people trying to access aid supplies has increased to 2,504 fatalities and more than 18,381 injuries since 27 May 2025. Moreover, according to MoH in Gaza, as of 17 September, 432 malnutrition-related deaths, including 146 children, were documented since October 2023. Updated data breakdowns published by MoH on 27 August indicate that of the total, four malnutrition-related deaths were documented in 2023, 49 in 2024, and 260 between January and 27 August 2025.
• Over the past week, three aid workers were reported killed in Gaza. On 15 September, Tamer Institute for Community Education reported that one of its staff members who was a case management officer was killed a day earlier. In a statement on 17 September, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported the death of a staff member on 16 September from shrapnel injuries sustained during an Israeli airstrike near his tent five days earlier. On the same day, Maan Development Center stated that one of its staff was killed in Gaza city along with a group people while he was collecting his belongings to evacuate from Ash Sheikh Radwan area to the southern Gaza Strip. Since 7 October 2023, at least 543 aid workers have been killed, including 373 UN staff and team members, 54 staff and volunteers of the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), four staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and 112 aid workers with national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), some in the line of duty.
• According to the Israeli military, between 10 and 17 September, as of noon, no Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza. The casualty toll among Israeli soldiers since the beginning of the Israeli ground operation in October 2023 stands at 460 fatalities and 2,898 injuries, according to the Israeli military. According to Israeli forces and official Israeli sources cited in the media, more than 1,660 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed, the majority on 7 October 2023 and its immediate aftermath. As of 17 September, it is estimated that 48 Israelis and foreign nationals remain captive in Gaza, including hostages who have been declared dead and whose bodies are being withheld.
• Strikes on IDP shelters, residential buildings, public infrastructure, and people seeking aid continue to be reported. Key such incidents over the past week included:
  • On 10 September, at about 16:55, one Palestinian was reportedly killed while collecting firewood near the Al Mughraqa area, north of An Nuseirat Camp, in Deir al Balah.
  • On 10 September, at about 19:55, four Palestinian males were reportedly killed and 19 others injured when a commercial stall was hit in An Nuseirat Camp, in Deir al Balah.
  • On 11 September, at about 06:15, four Palestinians were reportedly killed and 49 others injured while they were seeking aid near the Wadi Gaza militarized distribution site, in Deir al Balah.
  • On 11 September, at about 17:00, at least 17 Palestinians seeking aid were reportedly killed and many others injured while waiting for supply trucks in Beit Lahiya, in North Gaza.
  • On 12 September, at about 09:00, at least 14 people, including women and children, were reportedly killed and tens of others were reported missing when a residential building was hit west of Jabalya, in North Gaza.
  • On 12 September, at about 11:20, at least 17 people were reportedly injured when an IDP tent was hit south of Al Mawasi, west of Khan Younis.
  • On 12 September, at about 14:25, one Palestinian was reportedly killed while collecting firewood north of An Nuseirat Camp, in Deir al Balah.
  • On 13 September, at about 15:15, the headquarters of the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation was hit and destroyed in Tal al Hawa in Gaza city. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) condemned the attack and called for accountability for this and other attacks on journalism in Gaza.
  • On 13 September, at about 11:35, three Palestinians, including a female and two males, were reportedly killed and 27 others injured when a residential building was hit in As Sabra neighbourhood, in southern Gaza city.
  • On 13 September, at about 23:00, six Palestinians, including three children and two women, were reportedly killed and others injured when an IDP tent was hit in western Deir al Balah.
  • On 14 September, at about 09:45, at least four Palestinians were reportedly killed and 25 others injured while people were seeking aid near the militarized distribution site in Ash Shakosh area, in northwestern Rafah.
  • On 14 September, at about 14:30, at least seven Palestinians were reportedly killed, and others were reported missing under the rubble, when one or more buildings within the Islamic University were successively hit in Ar Rimal neighbourhood, in central Gaza city, after the Israeli military reportedly issued warnings for people in the area to evacuate. At least one building was sheltering IDPs, who reportedly returned to collect belongings after the second strike when the building was struck again with high-explosive missiles.
  • On 16 September, at about 03:30, 12 Palestinians, including at least two children, were reportedly killed, about 40 were injured and others were reported missing under the rubble when a residential building was hit in Ash Shati’ (Beach) Camp, in northwestern Gaza city.
  • On 15 September, at about 15:00, a water truck was reportedly hit near a school in Ash Sheikh Radwan, in northern Gaza city, injuring an unknown number of Palestinians.
  • On 16 September, at about 12:00, a school was reportedly hit in Az Zaytoun, in southern Gaza city, killing and injuring an unspecified number of Palestinians.
• According to records of OHCHR, since the establishment of the militarized supply sites system in the Gaza Strip on 27 May, and as of 17 September, at least 2,319 people, mostly young men and boys, seeking assistance have been killed, including 1,202 near militarized supply sites and 1,117 along convoy supply routes. Of the total, 210 were killed in the first two weeks of September. While most casualties are reportedly the result of live fire, over the past week, at least nine Palestinians were killed in an airstrike while seeking aid near As Sudaniya area, in western North Gaza, on 11 September.
• Since 12 September, the Zikim crossing (Erez West/As Siafa), which is usually used to collect aid supplies going into northern Gaza, has been closed. As a result, Food Security Sector (FSS) partners have not been able to bring any food aid to northern Gaza, including Gaza city, where hundreds of thousands of people remain and where a human-made famine was confirmed on 22 August. Also on 12 September, the Israeli military announced the start of works to expand Crossing 147 (also known as Kissufim), with the aim of increasing the volume of aid entering the designated zone in Al Mawasi. After completion of the works, the truck capacity at the crossing should increase to 150 trucks per day, which is three times the current capacity, thus enabling increased entry of aid, especially food, the Israeli military added.
• Delays and impediments to humanitarian movements continue, especially for missions from southern to northern Gaza. Missions that are approved by Israeli authorities still take hours to complete and teams have been compelled to wait on roads that are often dangerous or congested. Between 10 and 16 September, out of 117 attempts to coordinate planned movements with Israeli authorities across the Gaza Strip, 52 were facilitated (44 per cent), 24 were impeded (21 per cent), 23 were denied (20 per cent) and 18 had to be withdrawn by the organizers for logistical, operational, or security reasons (15 per cent). This includes 68 missions to northern Gaza, of which 31 were facilitated, 20 were denied, four were impeded and 13 had to be withdrawn. Since the closure of Zikim crossing on 12 September and until 16 September, the denial rate of movements to northern Gaza has increased to 41 per cent, up from 13 per cent in the preceding five days, between 7 and 11 September.
• In total, facilitated movements in southern and northern Gaza included one mission to transfer fuel to Gaza city, one mission to collect medical supplies from Kerem Shalom crossing, and a mission to transfer water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) supplies to northern Gaza. Denied movements included emergency medical team and staff movements and WASH-related missions. Among the 24 impeded missions, seven were fully accomplished despite the impediments, including missions to collect supplies from Kerem Shalom crossing and conduct road repairs. Two missions were not accomplished, including a mission to deploy a PRCS ambulance around aid convoys coming from Kerem Shalom crossing, and the remaining 15 missions were partially accomplished, including missions to collect fuel and other supplies from Kerem Shalom crossing. Overall, eight missions involved fuel collection and transfer and 30 involved the collection of other supplies from Gaza’s crossings.
• On 17 September, the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) reported significant disruption to internet and landline services in Gaza city and North Gaza – while mobile networks remain operational – following damage to fibre-optic cables along the Gaza–Erez route. The disruption, caused by the intensified offensive in Gaza city, highlights the extreme fragility of Gaza’s communications infrastructure – already strained by repeated blackouts, fuel shortages, and access constraints. The Cluster warned that further damage or delays in repairs could lead to a full communications collapse, cutting off civilians and humanitarians from life-saving information and coordination.

Deteriorating Access to Health Care

• Gaza's health-care system continues to be overwhelmed by the influx of mass casualties and a severe shortage of blood units, with the MoH in Gaza reporting on 15 September that the stocks in laboratory stores of blood bags, blood transfusion tools, and testing equipment have reached zero levels. The Health Cluster reported that there are currently about 1,793 in-patient hospital beds for the total population of Gaza, resullting in occupancy rates of 180 to 300 per cent across the 17 (out of a total of 36) hospitals that remain functional, all partially. In Gaza city, limited access to fuel supplies threatens the continued operation of health facilities and ambulance services, according to MpH in Gaza. On 15 September, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) warned that maternal healthcare in Gaza city has been severly impacted, with most of the health facilities that serve 23,000 pregnant women now at risk of imminent shutdown. According to UNFPA, every week in Gaza, at least 15 women deliver outside a hospital or health facility, without a skilled birth attendant, risking the lives of both mothers and newborns.
• Against the backdrop of further deterioration of the health system in Gaza, both the World Health Organization (WHO) and MSF drew attention to critically ill patients in need of medical evacuation – estimated to be over 15,600 patients as of 10 September. The Director General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that since October 2023, WHO supported the evacuation of over 7,640 patients, including 5,300 children, and 2,660 companions. He added that more than 700 people have died while waiting for medical evacuation, including almost 140 children, and called on countries to receive critically ill patients from Gaza and on Israel to allow people to be treated in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
• Attacks on health persist. As of 11 September, according to WHO, a total of 793 attacks on health care were recorded, 125 of which affected health facilities, including damage to 34 hospitals. On 14 September, PRCS reported that Israeli forces targeted a residential building less than 50 metres from Al Quds Hospital, in Gaza city, causing severe damage to the hospital, its administrative offices, and neighboring buildings. On 16 September, according to WHO, Al Rantisi Children's Hospital, also in Gaza city, was attacked, causing significant damage to rooftop water tanks, electrical and communication systems and some medical equipment. Forty patients fled for safety while 40 others remained, including four children in the pediatric intensive care unit and eight newborns, WHO added. No casualties were reported. The hospital provides specialised services, including oncology, dialysis, respiratory care and gastroenterology diseases for children. Calling for protection of health workers, health facilities and patients, the Director General of WHO emphasized that “Gaza cannot afford to lose more hospitals.”

Displacement and the Struggle for Survival

• According to the Site Management Cluster (SMC), the majority of over 246,800 displacement movements recorded since 14 August originated from Gaza city and 80 per cent (over 197,976 movements) were recorded from northern to southern Gaza via Al Rashid (coastal) Road. Amid intensified bombardment and issuance of displacement orders, the rate of displacement is growing, with roughly 125,600 movements recorded between 10 and 17 September, representing 51 per cent of all movements observed since 14 August. Yet, most areas in southern Gaza are already overcrowded, lacking dignified shelters and safe sanitation, and existing services are barely sufficient to accommodate the needs of people already there. Within this context, “[d]eciding whether to stay or leave is an almost impossible choice for people exhausted by war, with no guarantee of shelter or safety in the south,” said CARE in a recent statement.
• People who decide to move face an unsafe and burdensome route. On 12 September, at least two people were reportedly killed and others injured when a group of displaced people were struck while moving southward along Al Rashid Road in Tel al Hawa, in southwestern Gaza city. According to the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) road damage assessment of 8 July, imagery analysis indicates that approximately 77 per cent of the road network in the Gaza Strip has been damaged, with most of the completely destroyed roads located in the Gaza and Khan Younis governorates. Damaged and unsafe roads, coupled with prohibitively expensive transportation costs – ranging from 950 ILS (US$256) to 5,600 ILS ($1,500) – are forcing many to flee on foot and make displacement extremely difficult, including for people with mobility challenges. Protection partners report that displaced families are undertaking journeys of up to 12 hours in extreme heat, and with limited access to basic services, creating additional hardship and risks, particularly for injured persons - including children - and older persons.
• Those who risk the dangerous journey often arrive to find no available shelter, limited water supply, and a lack of basic services, with displacement sites and tented areas themselves being hit (see incidents above). According to the Shelter Cluster, many families are living out in the open or in makeshift shelters pieced together from worn tarpaulins, as only very limited quantities of tents and materials have entered Gaza. As of 16 September, about 1,400 tents have been collected from crossings through the UN coordination system, representing less than one per cent of the needs, the Shelter Cluster added. On 16 September, in coordination with the Shelter Cluster, partners distributed roughly 1,150 tents to displaced households, prioritizing women and girls at heightened risk, including survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) referred by the Protection Cluster.
• Israeli military operations are severely disrupting humanitarian operations and the ability of aid actors to provide relief assistance to affected people in Gaza city. For example, the Health Cluster reports that in the first two weeks of September, at least 10 primary health care clinics and medical points had to suspend services for at least one day due to insecurity. Five Women and Girls’ Safe Spaces were destroyed between 31 August and 13 September and the only remaining GBV shelter in Gaza city is now at risk of relocation.
• According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), 11 UNRWA premises, including nine schools and two health centres, serving as emergency shelters for about 11,000 people in Gaza city have sustained significant damage either directly or indirectly by strikes between 11 and 16 September. The UNRWA Gaza Field Office was also significantly damaged in an indirect strike and UNRWA’s only functioning health centre north of Wadi Gaza was forced to suspend operations on 13 September due to intensified attacks and incurred damage. Yet, and although the situation remains volatile and unstable, as of 16 September, UNRWA is still operating 29 emergency shelters hosting more than 4,500 families in Gaza city and continues to operate three medical points, including two conducting nutrition activities. Nutrition screening and treatment services have been severely reduced amid insecurity, the forced suspension of operations at two UNRWA-managed health facilities, and the inability of many staff to report to duty. On average, UNRWA staff screened 153 children for malnutrition and treated 40 per day in Gaza city in August, compared with 50 screened and 15 treated per day in the first two weeks of September. Other services were temporarily suspended for a day before resuming, such as water trucking and solid waste management; UNRWA estimates that it is currently providing water for domestic use to 350,000 people in Gaza city, the majority being served by the main water well in Ash Shati’ (Beach) Camp in western Gaza city.
• With over one million women and girls being repeatedly displaced, safety has become an illusion. As UN Women notes, “each move has meant searching for a small piece of land, often at unbearable rental costs, and many families end up building makeshift tents.” According to the GBV Area of Responsibility (AoR), escalating hostilities and the destruction of safe spaces have drastically reduced access points for women and girls, compounding already severe protection risks. Overcrowded shelters are further increasing exposure to harassment, while critical shortages of dignity kits and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) items leave women and girls without the most basic support. UN Women underscores the scale of this deprivation: “Hygiene is another daily indignity. With sanitary pads largely unavailable or unaffordable, and no privacy, nearly 700,000 women and girls of reproductive age struggle to manage menstruation, often in overcrowded or unsafe facilities.” Moreover, many local NGOs providing relief assistance have had their offices damaged; for instance, since October 2023, nearly 89 per cent of women-led organizations in Gaza have suffered severe damage, with offices destroyed and aid workers killed. Despite challenges, GBV and other protection partners continue to deliver life-saving services where possible across the Gaza Strip, including awareness sessions, psycho-social support, case management, and the distribution of dignity kits, with referral pathways and help desks at reception points south of Wadi Gaza, ensuring continued access to critical support.

Children Facing Collapsing Lifelines

• The escalating Israeli military offensive underway in Gaza city is “already resulting in disproportionate civilian casualties and driving the near total collapse of the remaining lifelines children need to survive,” warned the Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Edouard Beigbeder. Estimating that about 450,000 children in Gaza city are affected, he emphasized that the use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas leads to “devastating, compounding harms – killing and maiming of civilians, including children, destruction of homes, schools and vital water systems – running the risk of effectively rendering the city uninhabitable.” With nowhere safe to go to, especially vulnerable groups include children treated for severe acute malnutrition “who could starve to death,” preterm babies in incubators, injured children in intensive care units, and children with disabilities.
• Amid shrinking humanitarian space, child malnutrition in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate according to UNICEF. The percentage of children identified as acutely malnourished in screenings across Gaza increased to 13.5 per cent in August, from 8.3 per cent in July. In Gaza city, where famine has been confirmed last month, the percentage of children admitted with malnutrition was even higher, at 19 per cent, up from 16 per cent in July, UNIFEF explained. In total, based on reports received as of 17 September, roughly 28,000 cases of acute malnutrition among children under five have been identified by Nutrition Cluster partners across Gaza in July and August, exceeding the combined total of malnutrition cases identified in the first six months of 2025 (about 23,000 cases). The severity of cases has also increased; about 23 per cent (about 6,400 out of 28,000) of acutely malnourished children in July and August were suffering from severe acute malnutrition, up from about 15 per cent (about 3,400 out of 23,000) between January and June 2025.
• The Nutrition Cluster warns that ongoing military operations and large-scale displacement from northern Gaza risks to further derail efforts to detect and treat new acute malnutrition cases and disrupt the continuity of care for those already enrolled. As of 16 September, 18 out of 50 treatment centres have been reportedly closed in Gaza city, according to the Nutrition Cluster. This has caused a reduction in malnutrition screenings in August compared with July and risks to compromise the recovery of children currently under treatment. Moreover, for the past two months, the World Food Programme’s (WFP’s) Blanket Supplementary Feeding Programme has been on hold due to the lack of Medium Quantity Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (LNS-MQ). Other prevention supplies provided by UNICEF in August – small quantity LNS and High Energy Biscuits – have only been sufficient to support about 39,000 children, or 13 per cent of the 290,000 children between six and 59 months, and 21,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW), or 14 per cent of the 150,000 PBW in need of essential nutrition support. Despite challenges, efforts continue to provide nutrition supplies and cash assistance as part of the nutrition component of the famine response.
• According to the Child Protection AoR, eight partners have been forced to suspend or relocate 34 safe spaces or service points within Gaza city or to Deir al Balah since 1 September, further straining service coverage for vulnerable children and families. At present, only 120 safe spaces for children are run by partners across the Gaza Strip, including 30 in Gaza city, down from a total of 282 safe spaces and points in February 2025. In addition to the ongoing military offensive, delivery of critical child protection services -- such as case management for vulnerable children, family tracing and reunification, alternative care, and mental health and psycho-social support (MHPSS) for children and caregivers – continues to be hindered due to insecurity, infrastructure damage, limited fuel supplies, repeated displacement and the associated reduction in operational capacity. Like everyone else in Gaza, children, caregivers and staff providing protection services are exhausted, traumatized and facing psychological strain. Partners are reporting that protective environments are shrinking; more children are being pushed into hazardous labour and high-risk environments and children with disabilities remain especially marginalized.
• Amid seemingly insurmountable challenges, Child Protection partners are endeavouring to sustain services. For example, between 1 and 12 September 2025, partners distributed 6,000 psychosocial support kits procured from the local market – which comprise drawing books, toys and coloured pencils – to children in displacement sites and delivered critical MHPSS services to about 6,900 children and 2,000 caregivers in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates. MHPSS activities included recreational sessions, art therapy, and structured trauma recovery modules. Furthermore, 39 children with disabilities received nutritional supplements and fortified food, while 1,000 vulnerable children, including children with disabilities, received dignity kits. During the same period, community engagement and awareness-raising activities reached over 24,000 people with messages on child protection risks, parenting support, prevention of family separation, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, and coping strategies.

Limited Access to Water and Deepening Sanitation Crisis

• Access to WASH services across the Gaza Strip continues to be limited. As of 9 September, the WASH Cluster reported that 69 per cent (520 out of 756) of WASH facilities are in areas under displacement orders or within Israeli-militarized zones. In Gaza and North Gaza governorates, this access is becoming increasingly constrained, with humanitarian partners facing major challenges in sustaining essential operations, including water trucking, hygiene kit distribution, and solid waste management. Since 11 September, all coordinated requests for water trucking have been denied, and access to Mekorot filling stations remains blocked, further limiting available water sources. Additionally, the main Mekorot pipeline in northern Gaza, one of three in the Gaza Strip, is operating below capacity due to a leakage in the Shuja’iya area, in North Gaza, resulting in a 25-per-cent reduction in potential water supply. Despite these constraints, over 15 WASH Cluster partners are maintaining the provision of minimum services, primarily in the western parts of Gaza governorate. The last fuel delivery, received on 11 September, is expected to support critical facilities for approximately one week, operating under restricted hours.
• Due to ongoing bombardments in Gaza city, which have further intensified in the past week, WASH infrastructure has suffered severe damage, including the sewage network. This has resulted in sewage overflow in the streets, posing serious public health risks. According to the WASH Cluster, the Al Samer pumping station, which plays a critical role in managing sewage flow, is currently at risk whereby any further damage or operational failure could trigger a catastrophic sanitation crisis. Additionally, the Sheikh Radwan lagoon – Gaza city's main reservoir for receiving sewage – has been inaccessible for three weeks due to the intensification of Israeli military operations and displacement orders in the area, making it impossible to discharge wastewater into the sea and risking the occurrence of overflow and flooding in surrounding neighbourhoods.
• Solid waste management remains extremely challenging across the Gaza Strip. In Gaza and North Gaza governorates, some projects were suspended due to safety concerns and the lack of access to safe disposal sites. The accumulation of waste in residential areas and makeshift shelters is further exacerbating public health risks, as it creates breeding grounds for disease vectors, such as rodents and ectoparasites, the WASH Cluster reports. The situation is worsened by the unavailability of chemicals needed to control their spread. In the southern governorates, solid waste management efforts continue, with approximately 1,260 cubic metres per day being transferred to the five available temporary dumping sites. However, most of these sites are nearing full capacity – presently full at 80 to 95 per cent – and urgently require decongestion. The Sofa landfill remains the only designated final disposal site in the southern governorates, but access is not possible due to displacement orders and denied access to militarized zones. In hard-to-reach areas, such as Al Bureij and An Nuseirat, people are facing significant health and environmental risks due to the absence of functioning waste management systems and unsafe disposal practices. Waste collection operations are further hindered by challenges in fleet management, as only around 20 per cent of service provider vehicles are currently functional due to the lack of preventive maintenance, spare tires, and batteries.
• On 13 September, following a month-long outage, the Bani Suhaila Mekorot water line supplying Khan Younis was repaired, allowing the resumption of water flow at a rate of 12,000 cubic metres per day through the distribution network, despite ongoing infrastructure damage. Additionally, the newly inaugurated trunk line funded by the UAE, which connects the seawater desalination plant on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing to southern Gaza, has introduced a vital new water source. However, it is currently operating at only one-fifth of its intended capacity, according to the WASH Custer. In contrast, the Bani Said Mekorot water line, which supplies Deir al Balah, has remained non-functional since January after sustaining damage. Meanwhile, WASH Cluster partners have continued to diversify water sources through expanding the subsidized water scheme, increasing the number of operational desalination plants in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah governorates from one to six. These plants now produce a total of 2,370 cubic metres per day, serving nearly 400,000 people through water trucking, the WASH Cluster reported.
• The Gaza Municipality continues to warn about the growing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza city, noting that the approaching winter season would exacerbate the already dire humanitarian conditions. It cited unprecedented damage to infrastructure, public facilities, and civil institutions, alongside the accumulation of large quantities of solid waste in central areas, sewage overflow in the streets, and stormwater ponds that are already filled. The situation is compounded by a lack of critical supplies, including vehicles, fuel, and essential equipment to repair damaged facilities, posing a grave threat to public health and safety. The Municipality highlighted that many stormwater ponds have been contaminated with sewage due to the shutdown of pumping stations following the recent ground incursion, and that teams have been unable to access them to conduct repairs, which further heightens the already high risk of flooding in low-lying neighbourhoods and deepening the crisis.

Funding

• As of 17 September 2025, Member States have disbursed approximately $1.05 billion out of the $4 billion (26 per cent) requested to meet the most critical humanitarian needs of three million out of 3.3 million people identified as requiring assistance in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in 2025, under the 2025 Flash Appeal for the OPT. Nearly 88 per cent of the requested funds are for humanitarian response in Gaza, with just over 12 per cent for the West Bank. Moreover, during August 2025, the oPt Humanitarian Fund managed 104 ongoing projects, totalling $62.3 million, to address urgent needs in the Gaza Strip (87 per cent) and the West Bank (13 per cent). Of these projects, 48 are being implemented by INGOs, 42 by national NGOs and 14 by UN agencies. Notably, 35 out of the 62 projects implemented by INGOs or the UN are being implemented in collaboration with national NGOs. For more information, please see OCHA’s Financial Tracking Service webpage and the oPt HF webpage.