Report: Humanitarian response by the UN and humanitarian partners during the first month of the October 2025 ceasefire

An infographic summarizing this report is available here.

INTRODUCTION

Following the announcement of a ceasefire linked to a 20-point plan put forth by US President Trump on 10 October, the UN and its partners launched their 60-Day Ceasefire Humanitarian Response Plan, which outlines priority activities and an operational framework for the rapid scale-up of humanitarian assistance. The plan incorporates lessons from the January 2025 ceasefire, with enhanced coordination mechanisms, partner readiness, pipeline visibility, and tracking. Monitoring is done through the Security Council Resolution 2720 mechanism which reinforces robust risk management systems.

HIGHLIGHTS

UN and partners leveraged all opportunities presented by the ceasefire to increase the level of humanitarian goods and services provided to those in greatest need. By 10 November, achievements include:

• Up to 1.3 million cooked meals distributed daily
• 65,000 pallets of humanitarian supplies entered Gaza
• 4 million litres of fuel supplied to partners and service providers
• 27 health service points reopened or newly established
• Up to 20,000 cubic metres of water distributed daily
• 110,000 children screened for malnutrition
• 82,000 tons of debris cleared
• US$28 million multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) provided to 73,000 families

Humanitarian partners have also been able to re-establish critical services in areas that were previously inaccessible.

Note: This report outlines efforts and progress made by the UN and its partners to scale up humanitarian response across the Gaza Strip under the ceasefire that entered into effect on 10 October 2025. Figures refer to UN and partner assistance dispatched through the UN-coordinated system. Unless when noted otherwise, the report does not cover supplies entering through bilateral donations or the commercial sector.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

A ceasefire came into effect at noon on 10 October 2025. The agreement indicates that humanitarian aid as outlined in a proposal presented by US President Trump would be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip at minimum amounting to quantities consistent with the 19 January 2025 agreement. This would include materials and equipment to rehabilitate infrastructure, hospitals, bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads. Entry and distribution would proceed without interference from the parties to the conflict, through the United Nations and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions.

On 17 October, US Central Command established the Civil Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Israel – a joint coordination centre designed to “support stabilization efforts” and “facilitate the flow of humanitarian, logistical, and security assistance from international counterparts in Gaza.” The CMCC now reports engagement of more than 50 Member States and international organizations.

Improved humanitarian access

During active hostilities in Gaza, humanitarian organizations notify or coordinate their movements to pass through or reach people in areas under the direct control of Israeli forces. This system, while intended to provide information to help parties comply with their obligations under international law, often resulted in denials or severe impediments in the ability of humanitarian partners to access these areas. Following announcement of the ceasefire, the Israeli army withdrew from Gaza’s coastal areas to areas outside of the so-called "yellow line.” The Israeli military remains deployed in these areas beyond the line (over 50 per cent of the Gaza Strip), daily detonations of residential buildings continue to be reported, and access to humanitarian assets, public infrastructure, and agricultural land remains restricted or altogether barred.

The cessation of major hostilities allowed humanitarian partners to ease security protocols and move more freely, including in previously hard-to-reach areas. Violent, armed looting of humanitarian cargo, which had previously paralyzed the response, almost disappeared; this is attributed to the regular entry of cargo in larger quantities, from multiple land routes simultaneously, and the deployment of civilian police.

Resumption of movement to and from northern Gaza

With the onset of the ceasefire and the lifting of the hitherto displacement order affecting the entirety of the North Gaza and Gaza governorates, large-scale population flows have been observed from south to north, with nearly 600,000 north-bound movements recorded in the first month of the ceasefire. Most of these occurred through Al Rasheed Road, which was the route designated by the Israeli forces. Over 113,000 movements were also recorded from western to eastern Khan Younis. However, most of the population has remained in southern Gaza to date given the level of destruction in the north and the limited availability of services.

Truck movements and collections

According to the UN 2720 mechanism for Gaza, between 11 October and 10 November, a total of 3,185 UN and partner trucks – or 71,510 pallets with humanitarian supplies - were offloaded at any of the crossings along Gaza’s perimeter. Nearly 65,000 pallets were collected, which is more than twice as much as during the month prior to the ceasefire.

Comparing the pre- and post-ceasefire periods, the amount of diesel collected in the month following the ceasefire coming into effect, between 12 October and 11 November, was 4,314,315 litres. This represents a 38 per cent increase compared to the 1,630,310 litres collected during the month preceding the ceasefire, 12 September to 11 October.

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire
Pallets collected from any of the crossings along Gaza’s perimeter	28,007	64,776
Truckloads collected from any of the crossings along Gaza’s perimeter	2,066	3,926
Litres of diesel collected	1,630,310	4,314,315

OPERATIONAL CONSTRAINTS

During the January 2025 ceasefire, the UN and partners saw most of the administrative, bureaucratic and logistical “policy” impediments lifted, which allowed for the rapid and exponential scale up of humanitarian assistance. In comparison, the October 2025 ceasefire has not resulted in the same enabling environment. To ensure further expansion of humanitarian efforts, the following is required:

Logistics capacity must be rapidly expanded.

Since the start of the ceasefire, the Logistics Cluster has facilitated the collection of shelter, food, health, and WASH items from Kerem Shalom and Kissufim crossings. However, entry of key enabling equipment including mobile storage units, prefabs, sandwich clads, forklifts and vehicle spare parts continue to be systematically rejected by Israeli authorities, limiting the capacity to scale up cargo handling, storage and onward transport capacity.

Restrictions on entry of critical items must be lifted.

Entry of critical humanitarian items (CHIs), when approved, has been limited to one day per week, and, as of 11 November, $46.9 million worth of humanitarian supplies were still awaiting approval for entry. These include medical equipment, tents, WASH materials, food parcels, hygiene kits and solar lighting. Also blocked from entry at scale are supplies essential for the repair and maintenance of water and sanitation infrastructure, such as sewer pipes, prefabricated pumping stations and spare parts. Lastly, long-standing restrictions on the entry of education supplies hinder the establishment and operation of learning spaces. Since 20 October, Israeli authorities have authorised dual-use items to resume entering Gaza, exclusively through the Kerem Shalom crossing on Mondays and Wednesdays. However, there has been no change in the approval rate of dual-use items.

Administrative and bureaucratic impediments must be lifted, and processes streamlined.

Despite a relative increase in the number of aid trucks entering Gaza, all administrative restrictions that were in place prior to the ceasefire, including cargo pre-clearance restrictions, registration of international NGOs (INGOs), customs requirements, and deep scanning and multiple inspection procedures, remain in place. Since 19 May, most INGOs and national NGOs have been excluded by Israeli authorities from clearance and convoy manifesting. UN agencies are also facing growing operational restrictions due to Israeli legislation and related policies.

Additional crossings must be opened in a sustained and predictable manner with accompanying secure transport routes.

Despite the ceasefire, humanitarian convoys have been limited to a single congested route. Since 26 October, the Salah Ad Deen Road has not been authorized by Israeli authorities for moving humanitarian supplies. All humanitarian cargo movements from Kerem Shalom are routed through the congested Philadelphi corridor and Al Rasheed Road, exposing convoys to security risks and opportunistic looting.

During the reporting period, the northern crossings into Gaza were closed since the closure of the Zikim crossing on 11 September, precluding any direct access to the north. On 12 November, the Zikim crossing reopened, but operational capacities of the three crossings remained the same due to Kissufim and Zikim operating on alternating days.

Supplies currently come from Israel, West Bank and Egypt to Kerem Shalom, Jordan to Zikim and Ashdod/Israel to Zikim and Kerem Shalom. However, not all these crossings are predictably open. This makes it difficult to plan and results in humanitarian operations that are opportunistically delivered based on the supplies at hand rather than based on a planned response to the identified needs.

The Jordan route remains extremely restricted and Government-to-Government convoys have remained on hold since the 18 September incident at the Allenby Bridge border crossing. Moreover, aid transports via the West Bank route have faced repeated rejections while Israeli authorities have reduced the number of UN and INGO trucks authorised to be delivered through the Nitzana crossing from 100 to 40 trucks per day.

PROGRESS AGAINST RESPONSE PRIORITIES

Improving food security through safe and dignified provision of food assistance for 2.1 million people

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire
People assisted with monthly food assistance	0	935,000
Cooked meals distributed daily by the end of the period	954,000	1,270,000
Metric tons of food brought into Gaza through UN-coordinated mechanism	19,300	36,600

Household-level general food assistance resumed on 13 October after being paused since mid-April. As of 31 October, 187,000 households (estimated 935,000 people) received one food ration through 44 newly reopened distribution points in Gaza Strip, including more than 43,000 households via 11 points in Gaza city. To maximize coverage in the short-term, families received a reduced ration comprising one food parcel instead of two and one bag of wheat flour. Ration size has been adjusted based on stock availability from November onward.

About 160,000 2-kilogram bread bundles were produced daily at 19 UN-supported bakeries (10 in the south and nine in the north) and distributed either for free through partners across more than 400 sites or sold at a subsidized price of NIS3 ($0.92) via 71 contracted retailers, as of 10 November. Each bundle can serve a family of five for one day.

During the first month of the ceasefire, overall meal production increased significantly compared with late September. And, as of 10 November, 1,270,000 meals were delivered daily by 23 partners through 194 kitchens.

On 15 October, Israeli authorities allowed partners to bring animal fodder into Gaza for the first time since late August 2025 which is necessary for local food production. As of 10 November, approximately 530 metric tons of fodder were collected and were being distributed by partners to more than 1,700 livestock owners.

Preventing and addressing malnutrition

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire
Children (6-59 months) screened for acute malnutrition	110,000 (September)	125,600 (October)
Children reached with blanket supplementary feeding	16,034	97,760
Functioning outpatient nutrition sites for the treatment of malnutrition	128	141
Functioning stabilization centres (hospital) for treatment of malnutrition with complications	4	7

More than 125,000 screenings of children were conducted across Gaza in October, representing 43 per cent of the screening target. Of total screened, 9,822 were diagnosed with acute malnutrition, including 1,976 (20 per cent) with the most severe form, compared to 22 per cent in September.

Blanket supplemental feeding restarted. Almost 135,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) and under-5 children received medium-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements for the prevention of malnutrition. This represents about one-third of the nearly 450,000 children between six and 59 months and PBW in need of essential nutritional support.

Thirteen outpatient therapeutic feeding (OTP) sites re-opened in Gaza city, bringing the total to 20 in the north and 133 overall across the Gaza Strip. Over 6,000 boxes of ready-to-use therapeutic food were dispatched, covering the treatment needs of all children identified with acute malnutrition in the first two weeks of October. One new stabilization centre for the treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition with medical complications also opened in Khan Younis and two re-opened in Gaza city. Seven stabilization sites were operational across the Strip – two per governorate in Gaza and Deir al Balah, and three in Khan Younis. Twenty mobile health and nutrition teams were deployed in hard-to-reach areas, including 10 in northern Gaza, doubling the number compared to pre-ceasefire levels.

Increasing health service functionality

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire
Functioning hospitals (partially or fully) by the end of the period	14/36 (39%)	18/36 (50%)
Functioning primary health care facilities by the end of the period	63/189 (33%)	76/189 (40%)

Since the ceasefire, 27 health service points re-opened or were newly established across the Gaza Strip, including four hospitals, 13 primary health care centres and 10 medical points. Health service provision in northern Gaza was extremely limited, with only eight hospitals, one field hospital and 22 medical points partially functional in northern Gaza, operating amid extreme insecurity and strained resources. As of 31 October, 21 emergency medical team partners, including a total of 73 international staff, were deployed across Gaza, delivering specialized care to fill the critical service shortfall. In October, these teams conducted nearly 143,000 consultations, 880 emergency surgeries and 450 trauma referrals. Mobile clinic operations have also restarted in Gaza city. Medical consultations carried out by a leading health partner increased from about 50 patients/day before the ceasefire to over 1,100 patients/day one month later.

The ceasefire allowed medical organizations to increase the delivery of much needed medical supplies. Between 10 and 29 October, WHO brought over 840 pallets of life-saving medical supplies into Gaza, including insulin, assistive devices, essential medicines and surgical materials. Partners also supplied facilities with 10 neonatal ventilators, four incubators, 12 delivery beds, 12 cardiotocography devices, 14 examination tables and other critical supplies in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis to enhance sexual and reproductive health, in addition to reproductive health kits and kits for the treatment of rape cases.

Medical evacuation of 165 patients was facilitated, including 105 children, 28 women and 32 men, alongside 512 companions. However, over 16,500 patients in urgent need of evacuation for specialized treatment remain blocked in the Strip. Humanitarian actors are ready to scale up to a minimum of 50 patients per day plus companions, in line with the previous ceasefire period in early 2025. To do so, there is an urgent need to re-open the medical evacuation corridor to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and scale up medical evacuation corridors through Egypt and Jordan.

Enhancing access to clean water and sanitation

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire
Drinking water delivered daily	n/a	20,000 m3
Solid waste collected daily	n/a	(up to) 2,500 m3

Across the Gaza Strip, 41 WASH Cluster partners delivered up to 20,000 cubic metres of drinking water per day through 2,080 water points. In the north, drinking water delivery has increased by 169 per cent in a two-week period, with 5,979 cubic metres per day currently delivered across 594 water points in the Gaza and North Gaza governorates, compared to 2,000 cubic metres per day at 300 points as of 14 October.

WASH partners improved community level water supplies through the repair of accessible networks, and rehabilitation of wells and pumps. While the two Mekorot water pipelines from Israel, Bani Saeed and Al Mentar, that supply the Deir al Balah and Gaza governorates were repaired, only about a third of the water is effectively reaching the population due to downstream losses.

A total of 142 water tanks with a 2,000-litre capacity were brought into Gaza to expand water community points and reduce water distribution using water trucks. As of 25 October, over 1 million baby diapers, several hundred thousand sanitary pads, and thousands of household-level hygiene kits, jerrycans, and water buckets were distributed.

Partners collected 1,440 handwashing stations from the crossings and are currently installing them across shelters, child-friendly spaces and temporary learning spaces (TLSs) to reduce WASH-related diseases.

Gaza Strip generates an estimated 3,300–3,850 cubic metres of solid waste daily. Approximately 10 WASH Cluster partners collected up to 2,500 cubic metres per day, a significant increase from the average of 1,300 cubic metres of solid waste collected daily in September 2025.

Expanding and strengthening protection services

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire
People reached by protection services	n/a	76,000
Child protection safe spaces operational	n/a	157
People reached by comprehensive GBV prevention and response activities	n/a	16,445
Children and caregivers reached with child protection services	n/a	132,370

Partners gradually resumed their operations in Gaza city, which was previously inaccessible, while continuing activities in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates. Protection, Child Protection and partners addressing gender-based violence (GBV) have re-established offices, mobile teams, community and protection desks, and safe spaces for children and women. As of 9 November, a total of 157 child protection safe spaces and service points, as well as 32 safe spaces for women and girls are operational across the Strip. However, damaged premises, non-functional safe spaces, and repeated displacement are disrupting community engagement, while access barriers for older persons and individuals with disabilities remain a persistent concern.

Protection partners reached approximately 76,000 people through combined interventions, including awareness sessions, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), legal consultations, civil documentation assistance, mobility and assistive devices distribution to persons with disabilities, and risk education and community engagement. Mobile teams provided emergency counselling and community-based support in displacement sites where fixed centres remain non-operational. Approximately 8,102 women and girls accessed services addressing GBV, including case management, individual counselling, stress management groups, awareness sessions on prevention and addressing of GBV, psychological first aid, and psychiatric and psychological consultations.

Child Protection partners reached 132,370 children with services, including mental health and psychosocial support, case management services, child focused NFIs including clothing kits and cash assistance. Importantly, no MHPSS kits, including play and recreational materials, have entered Gaza in the past two years. This continues to severely limit child protection partners’ ability to provide essential psychosocial support services for children, despite the increasing mental health needs and ongoing advocacy for the entry of these life-saving materials.

Partners also helped reunify 166 unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) with their families while placing 215 UASC in temporary alternative care. In addition, the child protection winterization response, supported by UNICEF, is ongoing across multiple locations. To date, over 63,000 pairs of shoes and winter clothing kits, over 160,000 blankets and 6,000 tarpaulins have been distributed.

Improving living conditions of displaced persons

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire
Tents distributed	7,350	5,740
Tarpaulins distributed	7,990	47,150
Non-food items (NFIs) distributed	42,720	55,790

Partners implemented site management activities across 342 displacement sites and 80 UNRWA designated emergency shelters, out of more than 862 active sites throughout the Gaza Strip. This includes eight newly activated sites in the Al Mawasi area of Rafah, where humanitarian access was severely restricted prior to the ceasefire.

Shelter partners resumed activities in Gaza city and in North Gaza governorate. However, operational capacity remains limited due to transport costs, fuel shortages, offices and warehousing capacity, and limitations on access because of rubble, blocked roads and limited land availability. During the first month of the ceasefire, approximately 8,050 tents, 182,900 tarpaulins and 125,210 bedding items entered Gaza under the Shelter Cluster. Most distributions have taken place in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates.

However, shelter needs remain largely unmet with around 80 per cent of the population in the Gaza Strip lacking shelter materials and non-food items (NFIs), as partners continues to face major challenges in bringing essential supplies into Gaza. These difficulties stem from multiple factors, including the complex registration and approval processes for humanitarian organizations.

Scaling-up emergency cash transfers in a recovering market environment

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire
Households receiving MPCA	11,700	72,800

As of 11 November, a total of 72,800 households received multipurpose cash assistance (MPCA) in the amount of NIS1,250 (approximately $382), or 61 per cent of the ceasefire target of 120,000 households. Those were newly displaced and highly vulnerable households, including a significant share of women-headed families.

Increased use of cash-based approaches was possible due to the gradual but tangible recovery of the financial and market environment in Gaza throughout November, driven by improved banking operations, expanded digital payment capacity, and the entry of humanitarian and commercial goods. Five banks were operating through nine active branches, up from five in October. Banks have resumed opening new accounts, reactivated frozen ones, and issuing digital wallets, while financial service providers have restarted wallet creation and interoperability upgrades. These developments are strengthening the digital payment systems and enabling wider household access to electronic liquidity.

Food prices decreased by 84 per cent compared to September, and the consumer index value went down to 157 per cent of pre-war levels, down from up to 2,998 per cent in July, reflecting improved availability of food commodities. Non-food item prices such as detergents, baby supplies and hygiene materials also dropped significantly and stabilized, while diesel and firewood remain above pre-war levels due to constrained supply routes.

Removing unexploded ordnance, debris, and rubble

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire
Explosive hazard assessments conducted	41	86
Tons of debris cleared	25-30,000 (monthly average)	82,236

The number of explosive hazard assessments (EHA) has increased significantly, with a total of 86 EHAs conducted to evaluate explosive ordnance risk across critical humanitarian sites. Mine Action partners also delivered 3,135 explosive ordnance risk education sessions, reaching 59,429 people with critical messages on risk awareness and safe behaviours.

More than 82,236 metric tons of debris was cleared, which includes pushing debris to the roadsides to facilitate access and removal of debris to recycling and disposal sites. In total, 59 road segments were successfully cleared, restoring critical access routes and facilitating the safe movement of people, equipment and humanitarian aid. One debris recycling site is operational in Deir al Balah, and three others are under preparation in Khan Younis and Gaza. Debris crushing activities have processed 12,759 metric tons of material and 9,979 metric tons of fine sorted concrete, resulting in the production of 16,010 metric tons of reusable aggregates utilized for road paving and site stabilization.

Continued denials for the entry of machinery, equipment and crusher units required for large-scale debris clearance and recycling operations have severely limited operations. Moreover, activities are delayed and interrupted by fuel shortages, lack of proper storage infrastructure, challenges in securing approvals for suitable temporary debris recycling and disposal sites, and insurance issues for debris contractors due to the exceptionally high-risk environment.

Restoring access to education

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire
Children accessing education through temporary learning spaces	136,522	154,649
Active temporary learning spaces	252	303
Children reached through recreational activities	229,194	240,293

Fifty-one TLSs became operational, an increase of 20 per cent compared to pre-ceasefire figures. Enrollment also grew significantly with 18,127 new students. Education partners reached a total of 154,649 students – of whom 53 per cent are girls - who attend classes with the support from 4,339 teachers, 72 per cent of whom are women. Forty classrooms were renovated in eight schools in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. Renovation work is ongoing for 21 more classrooms in two additional schools. Overall, the UN and partners supported the rehabilitation of 97 classrooms in 10 schools. Partners distributed hygiene kits to 6,800 children in 32 TLSs in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis and 69,600 children in 84 TLSs in Khan Younis, Deir al Balah and northern Gaza received high-energy biscuits and fortified date bars.

One hundred sixty-eight schools were being used as shelters for internally displaced persons, including 103 government schools. Massive destruction of residential spaces and continued restrictions on the entry of education supplies, explosive ordnance contamination in Gaza city, and debris in many school compounds are hindering the establishment of additional spaces for education.

Restoring Emergency Telecommunications

Assessments in northern Gaza revealed limited mobile coverage outside Gaza city. Returning families faced significant mobility and financial constraints, increasing demand for connectivity services to support recovery and access to information. On 20 October, the security communications systems repeater retrieved from the UNRWA Gaza field office was installed in the Shawa Building to restore Gaza city coverage. To expand coverage in northern Gaza, installation of another repeater is planned. These upgrades are critical to re-establishing secure Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communications, which support staff safety, coordination and enable humanitarian operations across Gaza.

On 3 November, damage to the main internet fibre line near Erez further destabilized Gaza’s already fragile connectivity. The ETC cluster has been advocating for the facilitation of access for technical teams to conduct urgent repairs. Multiple requests for these teams to repair the damage were denied by Israeli authorities. In addition, on 9 November, a full internet blackout and partial mobile service disruption were reported in Gaza city and parts of Deir al Balah due to the fibre optic cable damage. Although services were restored the same day, recurring outages continue to hinder humanitarian operations and compromise staff safety, underscoring the fragility of Gaza’s communications infrastructure.

* This version of the report was updated on 12 December 2025 to fix typos and increase the clarity of data.