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

11 November - 10 December 2025

Note: This report highlights efforts and progress made by the UN and its partners to scale up humanitarian response across the Gaza Strip during the second month of the ceasefire (11 November-10 December) that entered into effect on 10 October 2025. A report covering the first month can be found here. Figures refer to UN and partner assistance dispatched through the United Nations-coordinated system. Unless noted otherwise, the report does not report on supplies entering through bilateral donations or the commercial sector.

An infographic summarizing this report is available here.

Introduction

During the second month of the ceasefire, from 11 November to 10 December, the UN and its humanitarian partners continued scaling up humanitarian assistance in Gaza in accordance with the 60-day response plan, increasing the delivery of aid and services to people in need wherever possible. This included leveraging the facilitation role of the Civil-Military Coordination Centre established by the US Central Command, which reports engagement with more than 69 Member States and international organizations.

Highlights

During the second month of the ceasefire, the UN and its partners:

• brought into Gaza nearly 85,000 pallets of humanitarian supplies;
• served up to 1.5 million cooked meals daily and reached nearly 1.3 million people with household-level monthly general food assistance in November;
• supported almost 321,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) and under-5 children with nutrient supplements to prevent malnutrition;
• set up 120 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and emergency beds, and provided 30 anaesthesia machines and 40 portable vital sign monitors to health facilities, alongside critical medicines and consumables;
• assisted over 237,750 children under the age of 11 with winter clothing kits; and,
• reached nearly 62,000 additional households with US$24 million-worth of multi-purpose cash assistance.

Although the UN and its partners were able to significantly increase the volume of supplies entering Gaza, administrative and bureaucratic impediments continued during the second month of the ceasefire. These impediments slowed the response and prevented the entry of aid and restoration of services at the scale to meet immense needs following two years of intense conflict, destruction and displacement (see below). While the amount of emergency food and nutrition supplies increased significantly, the entry of shelter items, water and sanitation equipment, agricultural inputs, construction materials and education supplies has remained limited.

The 60-day response plan has been extended into the second half of December and will transition into the 2026 Flash Appeal launched by humanitarian actors in December. The Flash Appeal will guide the integrated response in 2026.

Situation overview

Throughout the second month of the ceasefire, the Israeli army remained deployed in areas outside the so-called “Yellow Line,” which cover more than 50 per cent of the Gaza Strip. While major hostilities stopped, airstrikes, shelling and gunfire continued across the Gaza Strip, with most reported east of the “Yellow Line,” resulting in casualties. By 10 December, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported 379 new conflict-related deaths and 992 injuries since the October 2025 ceasefire, while a further 627 bodies were recovered from under the rubble.

During this time, humanitarian partners have continued to scale up assessments, aid delivery and restoration of services in previously hard-to-reach areas, where coordination requirements with the Israeli authorities have been lifted. Aid convoys to and from the crossings to collect supplies and in or near areas where Israeli forces remained deployed continued to require coordination with the Israeli authorities. Between 11 October and 10 December, 58 per cent of the 507 missions for which coordination was requested were facilitated; 22 per cent were approved but then faced delays or other impediments on the ground which resulted in some missions being aborted or only partially accomplished; nine per cent were denied outright, and 12 per cent were cancelled by humanitarian organizations due to logistical, security or operational reasons.

Famine offset but situation remains critical

The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, issued on 19 December, highlights a notable improvement in food security and nutrition since the ceasefire, with the number of people classified in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) and Emergency (IPC Phase 4) having decreased by 41 and 53 per cent, respectively, compared to the previous analysis conducted in August 2025. Notwithstanding progress, the IPC stressed that the situation remains critical for many people in Gaza: between 16 October and 30 November 2025, around 1.6 million people, or 77 per cent of the population analysed in Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah, Gaza and North Gaza, continued to face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above), with more than half a million people still in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and around 104,000 people still facing Catastrophic hunger (IPC Phase 5).1 Likewise, although famine conditions – detected in the Gaza governorate before the ceasefire – have been offset, the gains are highly fragile, contingent on sustained, expanded, and consistent humanitarian and commercial access. While the nutrition situation has also improved since the previous IPC analysis, acute malnutrition remains Critical (IPC Acute Malnutrition Phase 4) in the Gaza governorate and Serious (IPC Acute Malnutrition Phase 3) in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis governorates. Due to insufficient data, North Gaza was not analysed, but nutrition actors in the area report persistently high levels of malnutrition cases. The report finds that, although humanitarian assistance, including food aid, has increased, basic survival needs are only partly being met and essential medical supplies, sanitation and hygiene services, construction materials, and agriculture inputs are still limited.

Movement of people to and from northern Gaza

The large-scale south-to-north population movement recorded in the first month of the ceasefire continued throughout the second month, albeit at a reduced pace. Over 653,000 north-bound movements2 were recorded in total between 10 October and 6 December, of which 576,000 up until 8 November and an additional 77,500 through 6 December, most of these occurring through Al Rasheed Road. Overall, movements towards the two northernmost governorates accounted for 83 per cent of all population movements observed by Site Management partners over the two-month period. Most of the population, however, has remained in southern Gaza due to the level of destruction in the north and limited availability of services.

Inter-agency missions conducted by the UN and partners in previously hard-to-reach areas in both northern Gaza and eastern Khan Younis have revealed major service gaps and critical lack of shelter materials, water, hygiene, and food.

Flooding

Since mid-November, repeated heavy rains and flooding have further compounded people’s vulnerability, leading to destruction and damage of tents and makeshift shelters, loss of belongings, sewage contamination and heightened protection and health risks, particularly for persons with disabilities, older persons, and other vulnerable groups. OCHA estimates that Storm Byron, which struck Gaza on 10 and 11 December, affected nearly 55,000 families in 141 displacement sites across all five governorates, with Gaza city recording the highest number of reported incidents, followed by Khan Younis and Deir al Balah. Rainstorms have also affected humanitarian operations, including temporary closure of 16 community kitchens for one day, causing damage to 40 safe spaces and service points for children and forcing the relocation of patients from parts of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis.

As of 18 December, the Health Cluster confirmed 13 storm-related deaths: two due to hypothermia, both one-month-old infants, and 11 due to collapsing war-damaged buildings.

Truck movements and collections

During the second month of the ceasefire, the volume of humanitarian supplies brought into Gaza by the UN and its partners continued to increase, with a total of 87,644 pallets of aid offloaded at Gaza’s crossings between 11 November and 10 December, and 80,706 pallets collected into Gaza during the same timeframe, based on data retrieved from the UN 2720 Mechanism dashboard at 18:00 on 28 December. This represents a nearly 26 per cent increase in offloads and an over 17 per cent increase in collections compared with the first 30 days of the ceasefire. Overall, between 11 October and 10 December 2025, less than two per cent of cargo was looted or otherwise intercepted, according to the UN 2720 dashboard, with all incidents recorded in the first month, underscoring the critical importance of continuing scaling up aid entry into Gaza to reassure people of sustained and predictable delivery. Over 98 per cent of all collected cargo safely reached warehouses for onward distribution to people in need through the respective cluster’s network of partners.

Between 11 November and 10 December, the UN collected more than five million litres of diesel and more than 50,000 litres of petrol into Gaza. During the same period, the UN distributed nearly 3.5 million litres of diesel and 45,280 litres of petrol to the south and 1.4 million litres of diesel and 14,000 litres to the north to support critical humanitarian operations. While the quantity of fuel that entered Gaza during the reporting period sufficed to address immediate humanitarian operation needs, the restrictions to store fuel outside the few UN storage facilities authorized by the Israeli authorities has constrained planning and flexibility of the humanitarian response.

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire	Second month of ceasefire
Pallets collected from any of the crossings along Gaza’s perimeter	27,610	68,649	80,706
Truckloads collected from any of the crossings along Gaza’s perimeter	2,054	4,040	4,359
Litres of diesel collected	2,154,610	4,182,160	5,060,080

Operational constraints

Although the UN and its partners have significantly increased the volume of aid entering Gaza, the clearance and authorization processes for the entry of aid, including critical humanitarian items (CHIs) and those deemed dual-use by Israeli authorities remain challenging, with approval rates still very low. Overall, between 11 October and 10 December 2025, 95 requests for the entry of CHIs were submitted in the UN2720 system, 61 in the first month and 34 in the second month of the ceasefire. During the same timeframe, a total of 56 CHI requests submitted before and during the ceasefire were approved by the Israeli authorities, of which 24 between 11 November and 10 December, compared to 32 in the previous 30-day period. Overall, as of 10 December, out of 732 CHI requests submitted by the UN and partners in the UN2720 system since the operationalization of the Mechanism in April 2024, 406 (55 per cent) had been approved by the Israeli authorities, while 111 (15 per cent) had been rejected and 215 (29 per cent) were pending approval, including requests returned to the submitting organization for additional information. Once cleared, such items are allowed to enter Gaza exclusively on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, only through the Kerem Shalom Crossing.

Most NGOs that are part of the United Nations-coordinated humanitarian response system also continue being excluded from bringing humanitarian supplies into Gaza. Between 11 October and 10 December, 76 requests submitted into the 2720 database by NGOs were rejected on the ground that the organization is not approved to bring aid into Gaza. Most other requests were rejected because they concerned goods deemed by the Israeli authorities as falling outside of the “humanitarian” category or for which they required additional information from the submitting organization.

Overall, between 11 October and 10 December, Israeli authorities approved 805 requests submitted by the UN and the NGOs into the UN 2720 database both before and during the ceasefire and rejected another 174. These requests covered all types of humanitarian aid, including critical humanitarian items (CHIs). Items that have been consistently rejected include generators over 30 kilovolt-amperes (KVA); solar panels and batteries, as well as armoured vehicles and spare parts, with only limited exceptions.

Other administrative measures that were in place prior to the ceasefire, including cargo pre-clearance and customs requirements, deep scanning and multiple inspection procedures, also remain in place.

At Ashdod Port, scanning increased in late November until a scanner malfunction in early December prompted the suspension of operations for nearly a week. Scanning operations gradually resumed from 11 December and reached full capacity on 15 December. Over the reporting period, a total of 1,543 trucks were processed and offloaded at Gaza’s crossings, mostly carrying food commodities.

Offloading via the Egypt corridor remained challenging with humanitarian aid not being prioritized by the Israeli authorities vis-à-vis other cargo. Between 11 November and 10 December, only 1,535 out of 2,677 UN and partner trucks manifested for entry via both Nitzana and Kerem Shalom were offloaded (57 per cent).

On 10 December, after more than three months of suspension, the Allenby crossing was used for the entry of humanitarian cargo into Gaza. Movements, however, remained limited to back-to-back convoys, while the government-to-government modality was still suspended. Meanwhile, back-to-back convoys continued via the Jordan River, though capacity remains limited, with only 15 trucks allowed to cross daily and no food items authorized.

Aid transport via the West Bank route has also faced shifting requirements, with changes in procedures, status of crossings and authorized days/routes affecting operational planning.

While during the first month of the ceasefire, only Kerem Shalom and Kissufim were operational, the re-opening of the Zikim Crossing on 14 November enabled more direct dispatches to northern Gaza. The overall operational capacity of the three crossings, however, has remained unchanged, as Kissufim and Zikim have been operating on alternating days.

Movement of aid cargo inside Gaza also continued to face major constraints. Throughout the second month of the ceasefire, the use of the Salah Ad Deen Road to move humanitarian supplies remained interdicted by the Israeli authorities. All humanitarian cargo movements from Kerem Shalom Crossing continued to be routed through the Philadelphi corridor and onwards to the congested Al Rasheed Road. On 17 December, following flooding that damaged the Philadelphi corridor, the Israeli authorities re-authorized the use of Salah Ad Deen Road on a temporary basis.

Meanwhile, the continued restrictions on key enabling equipment — including mobile storage units, basic prefabricated structures, forklifts and vehicle spare parts — have hampered the UN and partners’ efforts to scale up the infrastructure required for cargo handling, storage and onward transport.

Recently, Logistics Cluster staff have been granted access to the Kerem Shalom Crossing to support partners with oversight of the supplies, complementing the work of the UN 2720 international monitors. No humanitarian presence however continues to be allowed on the Israeli side of the platforms.

Humanitarian operations continued to be constrained by a shortage of armoured vehicles (AVs) due to Israeli restrictions, affecting the ability of the UN and partners to bring in new vehicles and spare parts to repair existing ones. As of 10 December, 67 per cent of all UN AVs in Gaza had either mechanical or armour issues, with only the remaining 33 per cent being fully serviceable.

The lack of authorization by the Israeli authorities to perform Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) activities, and restrictions on the entry of both EOD equipment and heavy machinery required for rubble removal operations, also continued to represent obstacles.

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	Second month of ceasefire
People assisted with monthly food assistance	0	935,000(11-31 October)	Over 1,300,000 (November)
Cooked meals distributed daily by the end of the period	954,000	1,270,000	1,571,000
Metric tons of food brought into Gaza through UN-coordinated mechanism	19,300	39,400	45,200

Household-level general food assistance continued to increase. In November, more than 260,000 households (over 1.3 million people) received general food assistance through 59 distribution points across the Gaza Strip, including more than 110,000 households via 21 distribution points in northern Gaza. This represents over 62 per cent of the 2.1 million people requiring monthly food assistance in Gaza. The ongoing December monthly cycle is prioritizing families that did not receive supplies in the past two months. As of 10 December, partners had reached 73,000 households (about 365,000 people) with monthly food assistance via 60 distribution points across the Strip, including a new one in Beit Lahiya, North Gaza governorate. Based on higher stock availability, between 16 November and 10 December, the ration size was adjusted from one to two food parcels and one 25-kilogramme flour bag per family (covering 75 per cent of daily caloric needs).

About 180,000 2-kilogram bread bundles were produced daily at 19 UN-supported bakeries (10 in the south and nine in the north), complemented by more than 420,000 loaves from one partner across the Strip. The bread was distributed either for free through partners across more than 400 shelters and community sites or sold at a subsidized price of NIS3 ($0.92) via an expanding network of 118 contracted retailers as of 10 December. Each bundle can serve a family of five for one day.

During the second month of the ceasefire, cooked meal production increased by more than 20 per cent compared to November and more than 100 per cent compared to late September. As of 10 December, 1,571,000 meals were delivered daily by 26 partners through 208 kitchens across the Gaza Strip.

Following the authorization to bring in animal fodder on 15 October, Israeli authorities further approved the entry of approximately 3,500 veterinary kits into Gaza on 5 December, for the first time since August 2024. Distribution began on 9 December and aims to assist around 2,000 small ruminant holders and 200 donkey owners across the Strip.

Entry of agricultural supplies – including seeds, nursery inputs, organic fertilizers, nylon sheets for both animal shelters and greenhouses, mesh and woods for greenhouses – through both humanitarian and private sector channels remains a significant challenge. This continues to hinder the resumption of local food production and farmers’ livelihood.

Preventing and addressing malnutrition

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire	Second month of ceasefire
Children (6-59 months) screened for acute malnutrition	110,000 (September)	125,600 (October)	92,800(November)
Children (0-59 months) and pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) reached with blanket supplementary feeding	21,227 (16,034 U5,5,193 PBW)	134,382 (97,760 U5, 36,622 PBW)	320,628 (236,009 U5, 84,619 PBW)
Functioning outpatient therapeutic programme sites for the treatment of malnutrition	128	141	190
Functioning stabilization centres (hospital) for treatment of malnutrition with complications	4	7	7

Partners screened more than 92,800 under-five (U5) children across Gaza between 1 and 30 November. Of total screened, 6,714 were diagnosed with acute malnutrition, including 1,324 with the most severe form, compared to 9,822 new cases in October and 13,154 in September, underscoring a downward trend in acute malnutrition.

Blanket supplemental feeding (BSF) continued to expand and has achieved the highest coverage since the start of the programme in 2024. Between 11 November and 10 December, over 320,600 pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) and children under-five received medium-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements for the prevention of malnutrition across 233 BSF Programme sites. This represents over two-thirds of the nearly 450,000 children under-five and PBW in need of essential nutritional support, compared to less than one-third during the first month after the ceasefire, and a complete stop of the programme from the beginning of July to the end of September.

More Outpatient Therapeutic Programme sites re-opened across the Strip in the second month of the ceasefire, bringing the total to 190, of which 44 are in northern Gaza. Additionally, 20 mobile health and nutrition teams are deployed in hard-to-reach areas, including 10 in northern Gaza, doubling the number compared to pre-ceasefire levels. Since the ceasefire, over 40,000 boxes of ready-to-use therapeutic food have been collected from the crossings and more than 20,000 boxes dispatched to partners for distribution. The current stock can sustain the malnutrition treatment programme until the end of the first quarter of 2026.

The seven stabilization centres for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition with medical complications (three in Khan Younis, two in Deir al Balah, and two in Gaza city) have continued to operate throughout the second month of ceasefire.

Increasing health service functionality

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire	Second month of ceasefire
Functioning hospitals (partially or fully) by the end of the period	14/36 (39%)	18/36 (50%)	18/36 (50%)
Functioning primary health care facilities by the end of the period	63/189 (33%)	76/189 (40%)	89/195 (45.5%)

Since the ceasefire, 55 health service points (HSPs) have re-opened or have been newly established across the Gaza Strip, of which 37 in northern Gaza. These include 20 health service points opened during the second month of the ceasefire, including one field hospital, 11 primary health care centres and eight medical points.

In northern Gaza, the number of active health partners has more than doubled from 16 to 41, and consultations increased more than tenfold, from 5,000 before the ceasefire to 55,000 as of mid-November.

The ceasefire allowed medical organizations to scale up the delivery of much needed medical supplies. From ceasefire up to 10 December, WHO provided:

• 731 pallets of medical supplies to ten hospitals, four field hospitals and six primary healthcare centers (PHCCs).
• 120 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and emergency beds to hospitals across three governorates.
• 30 anesthesia machines to all hospitals and field hospitals, significantly improving operating theatre performance.
• 40 portable vital signs monitors, which were partially distributed to field hospitals in Gaza City.
• 80 pallets of surgical gauze, addressing near-zero stock levels in most hospitals and PHCCs.
• 150 pallets of medicines and medical disposables to the Ministry of Health, including intravenous fluids and oral antibiotics, medications for non-communicable diseases, and surgical consumables.

As of 10 December, 35 emergency medical teams (EMTs), including a total of 85 international staff, were deployed across Gaza, delivering specialized care to fill the critical service shortfall. In November, these teams conducted 115,700 consultations, 1,215 emergency surgeries and 591 trauma referrals. While denial rates for EMTs have decreased to 20 per cent, down from 30–35 per cent prior to the ceasefire, significant challenges remain due to limited infrastructure and shortages of specialized equipment and supplies, which continue to constrain the ability to perform complex procedures and specialized care.

Health Cluster partners conducted a 10-day catch up vaccination campaign targeting children 1-3 years who defaulted on their vaccines or had not received any vaccine to bring their vaccination status up to date. The first round of the campaign, conducted through around 150 health facilities, reached 15,624 children. The second round is tentatively scheduled for the second part of January. As of 10 December, routine vaccination sites for school-aged children had increased to 33 across the Gaza Strip, up from 22 before the ceasefire.

Between 1 November and 8 December, medical evacuation of 114 patients was facilitated, including 99 children, 7 women, and 8 men, alongside 381 companions. Overall, 260 critical patients were evacuated since the ceasefire and as of 10 December. However, over 16,500 patients, including 4,000 children, in urgent need of evacuation for specialized treatment remain blocked in the Strip. Reportedly, 1,000 patients died while waiting to be referred outside for medical treatment. 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.

Health partners continued to coordinate and negotiate for access to crucial health facilities with mixed results. Despite repeated attempts, partners have not been able to reach the Kamal Adwan Hospital while access to the European Gaza Hospital was possible after multiple failed attempts due to denial by the Israeli authorities. Medical commodities still constitute a bulk of items that are awaiting approval to get into the Gaza Strip.

Enhancing access to clean water and sanitation

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire	Second month of ceasefire
Drinking water delivered daily on average	15,000 m3	20,000 m3	26,000 m3
Solid waste collected daily on average	1,300 m3	(up to) 2,500 m3	3,693 m3

As of 4 December, 46 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster partners were delivering 26,000 cubic metres of drinking water per day through 2,519 water points across the Gaza Strip. In northern Gaza, drinking water provision has increased by 330 per cent, with 8,600 cubic metres per day delivered across 941 water points, compared to 2,000 cubic metres per day at 300 points as of 14 October.

Since the beginning of the ceasefire, partners have rehabilitated 60 water wells, bringing the total to 135 wells presently operational across the Strip. Forty reverse osmosis desalination plants have also been rehabilitated, up from only 22 operational before the ceasefire.

As of 10 December, most of the water, sewage and solid waste services had sufficient access to fuel. However, plans to connect additional facilities to electricity, most notably the desalination plant in Deir al Balah, have not materialized due to the lack of necessary materials. The Southern Gaza desalination plant continues to supply water, although consumables including filter membranes could not yet be brought into Gaza due to delays in securing the authorization for entry. The three Mekorot water pipelines from Israel continue to supply water to Gaza, though the Bani Suhaila line to Khan Younis was damaged for four days before being repaired in early December.  Functionality of these services depend on constant and adequate supplies of fuel.  

During the reporting period, there has been an improvement in the entry of latrine slabs, while materials required for the repair of sewage systems and pump stations remain extremely limited, particularly sewage pipes, manholes and sewage pumping stations. Not enough of the right materials are being ordered, due to agencies’ hesitancy to order expensive items that risk remaining locked at either entry points or in warehouses outside Gaza when items are rejected from the onset. Between 10 October and 10 December, 2,465 household latrines were installed in 222 locations across Gaza Strip, representing only 25 per cent of the 10,000 latrines that WASH partners aimed to install during the first two months of the ceasefire.

In addition, since the beginning of the ceasefire, WASH partners have distributed more than 101,000 hygiene items, 39,539 water storage units, 31,931 basic household hygiene kits and 25,093 complete household hygiene kits in 288 displacement sites across 32 neighbourhoods. 

As of 10 December, approximately 3,693 cubic metres of waste were being collected daily across 196 points in 46 neighbourhoods.

Expanding and strengthening protection services

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire	Second month of ceasefire
People reached by comprehensive GBV prevention and response activities	n/a	16,445	51,755
Children and caregivers reached with child protection services	n/a	132,370	467,585
Number of operational child protection safe spaces	n/a	100	177

Partners continued to gradually scale up operations in Gaza city, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates. In the second month of the ceasefire, General Protection partners reached approximately 12,331 people through protection interventions, including Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) sessions, case management for persons with immediate protection risks, cash assistance for vulnerable people to address protection needs and promote protection outcomes, and capacity building for humanitarian staff aimed at strengthening protection mainstreaming.

Nearly 52,000 community members, including 47,615 women and girls, and 4,140 men and boys, accessed GBV services, including case management, individual counselling, stress management groups, awareness sessions on prevention and addressing of gender-based violence (GBV), psychological first aid, and psychiatric and psychological consultations.

More than 2,800 people, including 2,540 women and 302 men, attended legal awareness sessions on housing, land and property (HLP), including sessions on women’s HLP rights and safeguarding of HLP documentation. 

During the second month of ceasefire, Child Protection partners reached 345,128 children with services, such as mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), case management, and the distribution of critical items such as clothing kits, and cash assistance. A total of 6,277 children at risk and their families were reached through cash-for-protection interventions to mitigate protection risks and prevent family separation.

Over 5,200 children at risk, including unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) and children experiencing neglect, violence or abuse, were identified and supported through direct, one-on-one social work interventions. This included the reunification of 287 UASC with their families, and placing of 398 UASC in temporary alternative care. An additional 707 children with conflict-related injuries or physical disabilities were supported with assistive devices or specialized rehabilitation services.

As part of the child protection winterization response, protection actors distributed winter clothing kits to 237,752 children, winter shoes to 53,742 children and emergency non-food items (NFIs), including family tents, tarps and hygiene kits, to 13,086 children and caregivers. Yet, current assistance remains limited to children under 10, leaving a significant gap for adolescents aged 11 to 17 years.

There remains an urgent need for assistive devices for children with disabilities, as well as recreational kits to improve the quality of MHPSS activities. No MHPSS kits, including play and recreational materials, have entered Gaza since September 2024 as they have not been seen as lifesaving interventions by the Israeli authorities, and therefore not allowed to enter Gaza.

As of 10 December, a total of 177 child protection safe spaces and service points were operational across the Gaza Strip. However, inclement weather and flooding damaged child protection and child-friendly spaces and disrupted activities in multiple locations. As of 17 December, reports from partners confirmed damage to approximately 40 child-friendly spaces and service points across the Strip, including collapsed or flooded tents, torn tarpaulins, damaged flooring, roof leaks and access challenges - particularly in low-lying areas with poor drainage and prolonged tent use. Activities were suspended or reduced between one to seven days depending on the area and activity, affecting more than 30,000 children. Priority needs include tent repair or replacement, winterization materials, and drainage support.

Improving living conditions of displaced persons

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire	Second month of ceasefire
Tents distributed	7,350	5,740	10,850
Tarpaulins distributed	7,990	47,150	289,000
Non-food items (NFIs) distributed	42,720	55,790	189, 670

During the second month of the ceasefire, Shelter Cluster partners continued to scale up assistance across the Gaza Strip. Distributions were primarily concentrated in southern Gaza, with a gradual increase in activities in Gaza city and North Gaza governorate as access permitted. While the inflow of tarpaulins and bedding items improved compared to the previous reporting period, the availability of tents and other critical shelter materials remained severely limited in the Strip due to a combination of factors, including restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities on some NGOs and the rejection of subsequent material entry requests, which in turn contribute to supply chain disruptions and hinder the entry of available items.

Between 11 November and 10 December, approximately 7,540 tents, 158,000 tarpaulins and 148,690 bedding items entered Gaza coordinated by the Shelter Cluster. Increased volumes of tarpaulins and bedding items in the second month enabled partners to expand coverage and reinforce makeshift shelters and partially damaged buildings ahead of the rainy season. During the same period, partners distributed 10,850 tents, 289,000 tarpaulins and 189,670 bedding items, targeting the most vulnerable households based on shelter conditions and social vulnerability. In addition, Shelter partners helped distribute approximately 35,350 tents that entered Gaza through bilateral donations supporting collective efforts to secure shelter to as many people in need as possible.

A total of 8,720 clothing kits and vouchers for clothes were distributed across the Gaza Strip through the Shelter Cluster framework.

In parallel, some partners implemented makeshift shelter solutions using locally procured materials and imported tarpaulins, in coordination with relevant authorities.

Despite these efforts, the needs for shelter and NFIs remain extensive. More than 57 per cent of the population is estimated to lack adequate shelter materials, while 50 per cent of the population is estimated to be in need of emergency NFIs. Operational challenges have persisted during the second month of ceasefire, particularly in northern Gaza, where access constraints, extensive rubble, damaged infrastructure, limited space and limited warehouses, high transport costs, and fuel shortages continued to limit the scale and speed of the response. Early seasonal rainfall further damaged tents and makeshift shelters in several displacement sites and collective centres, compounding needs as previously distributed items deteriorated and no longer provided adequate protection.

During the second month of the ceasefire, Site Management interventions took place in 349 displacement sites, out of more than 925 active throughout the Gaza Strip. This leaves the majority of the population sheltering in displacement sites without dedicated site management support and therefore with less coordinated services available to them, along with a reduced protective environment. 

In addition, while Site Management Cluster (SMC) partners have made significant efforts to prepare sites for winter, with a focus on flood mitigation, the lack of ability to bring in minimal necessary materials within the needed timeframe, along with the limited coverage of SMC interventions, has left the populations sheltering in sites significantly unprepared for the  winter with any significant rains expected to lead to widespread flooding. 

Due to lack of adequate materials entering the Gaza strip, SMC partners continue to rely on recycled materials, such as used flour sacks as the cornerstone of flood mitigation efforts. These, whilst appropriate for the use, are not available in the numbers required to enable a response at the scale necessary. 

Scaling-up emergency cash transfers in a recovering market environment

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire	Second month of ceasefire
Households receiving MPCA	11,700	72,800	61,930

As of 10 December, 134,200 households (737,000 people) had been reached with a multi-purpose cash (MPCA) transfer of NIS 1,250 ($382) per household since the start of the ceasefire, exceeding the 60-day ceasefire plan target of 120,000 families. 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 the ceasefire, driven by improved banking operations, expanded digital payment capacity, and the entry of humanitarian and commercial goods. However, market functionality remains volatile and fragile, dependent on the continued entry of commercial trucks and operations of financial service providers. Five out of nine bank branches were operational as of 10 December and had resumed opening new accounts, reactivating frozen ones and issuing digital wallets, while other financial service providers had restarted wallet creation and interoperability upgrades. These developments are strengthening the digital payment systems and enabling wider household access to electronic liquidity.

Market conditions also improved by the consequent drop in prices of basic food and non-food commodities to the ceasefire. Prices for essential goods in Gaza were extremely high during the hostilities – up to 30 times higher in August than before October 2023. Following the ceasefire, those dropped significantly and are currently about 1.5 times higher than what they used to be before the war. In this context, the MPCA response is scaling up, with 1.2 million people expected to be reached by end of the year.

Assessing unexploded ordnance, removing debris, and rubble

Indicator	Month prior to ceasefire	First month of ceasefire	Second month of ceasefire
Explosive hazard assessments conducted	41	86	143
Tons of debris cleared	25-30,000 (monthly average)	82,236	336,245

Between 11 November and 10 December, Mine Action partners conducted 143 Explosive Hazard Assessments (EHAs) in Deir al Balah, Gaza city and Khan Younis. Eighty-four per cent of the EHAs were conducted in support of rubble removal activities for critical infrastructure and access routes.

Technical expertise on explosive ordnance risks was also provided in 18 inter-agency missions.

Mine Action partners conducted 6,026 Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) sessions in Gaza city, Deir al Balah, Khan Younis and the Mawasi area of Rafah to sensitize the population on unexploded ordnance (UXOs), benefiting 113,879 people in total, of whom over 50,000 children, 37,500 women and 313 persons with disabilities. Seven EORE Training of Trainer sessions were also conducted for frontline humanitarian staff.

During the second month of ceasefire, six EO incidents in Deir al Balah, Gaza city and North Gaza governorates were recorded through the incident tracking matrix. The incidents resulted in the killing of six people and injury of another 13 people.

Around 336,000 metric tons of debris were cleared by Debris Management Working Group partners, including municipalities. This includes pushing debris to the roadsides to facilitate access and debris transport to recycling and disposal sites. In total, debris was cleared from over 31 roads, covering a combined length of around 43 kilometres, restoring critical access routes and facilitating the safe movement of people, equipment and humanitarian aid. Clearance works were also initiated along Salah Ad Deen Road, Gaza’s main north–south access route, helping to reconnect the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip. In addition, critical health facilities, including Al Shifa, Al Rantisi and Patient’s Friend hospitals, benefited from debris removal activities, helping to restore access to life-saving health services. 

Currently, only one debris recycling site is operational in Deir al Balah. Other recycling sites remain inactive due to major challenges in rehabilitating old crusher equipment and the lack of essential spare parts. A total of 16,725 tons of recycled aggregates were used in the rehabilitation of 21 roads and the construction of foundations for two temporary shelter sites, two warehouses and two field hospitals.

Continued denials for the entry of machinery, equipment and crusher units required for large-scale debris clearance and recycling operations are constraining a further scale up of 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	Second month of ceasefire
Children accessing education through temporary learning spaces	136,522	154,649	226,400
Active temporary learning spaces	252	303	405
Children reached through recreational activities	229,194	240,293	247,543

The number of operational temporary learning spaces (TLS) increased from 303 in October to 405 as of 8 December. Enrolment also grew significantly, with approximately 226,000 students (55 per cent girls) attending classes with support from 5,180 teachers (73 per cent women). Despite this progress, only about 34 per cent of Gaza’s school-aged population is enrolled in these TLSs for the 2025-2026 academic year, highlighting the continued gap in access to education. A total of 106 high-performance tents were installed across the Gaza Strip to expand the capacity of in-person learning spaces and accommodate increased student enrolment.

Sixty-five classrooms were renovated in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis since the ceasefire started, and the rehabilitation of an additional 18 will soon finish. 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.

The Education and Nutrition Clusters have continued scaling up the distribution of nutritious snacks to children in TLSs. As of 10 December, approximately 191,968 children were receiving high-energy biscuits and fortified date bars across 232 TLSs in the Gaza Strip. Jointly with the WASH Cluster, Education partners have also distributed 300 hygiene and cleaning kits to 93 TLSs with the aim of improving hygiene practices in learning spaces. This helps mitigate the risk of communicable disease outbreaks especially during the winter season.

A total of 110 children with disabilities received assistive devices in learning spaces during the second month of ceasefire. These children, supported through Education projects, are in addition to the 357 reached with assistive devices by Child Protection partners during the same reporting period.

Restoring Emergency Telecommunications

To strengthen the resilience of internet and mobile phone services, Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) has been actively engaged in securing fuel donations to support telecommunications operator partners. Efforts to obtain additional contributions are ongoing to ensure continuity of these critical services. 

Work continues to reinstall the Gaza City Very High Frequency (VHF) repeater, and an additional VHF repeater to strengthen radio communications coverage across Gaza city and the northern areas. In the central region, the VHF repeater in Deir al Balah has already been restored, and further enhancements to improve coverage in the eastern middle areas are under active consideration, including the potential installation of an additional repeater. 

This expansion of the VHF network will operate in coordination with coverage of the digital VHF repeater recently relocated to Khan Younis. Partners continue to await the delivery of a digital VHF repeater system, which has been pending entry into Gaza for the past 18 months due to lack of approval by the Israeli authorities.

In parallel, partners are working to install VHF base stations within all armoured vehicles and static locations at which UN personnel congregate in the event of emergencies or communication blackouts. These efforts are designed to ensure a resilient and dependable Security Communications System—one capable of functioning when mobile and internet services are disrupted. The goal is to maintain uninterrupted VHF coverage across the Gaza Strip to support operational continuity and safeguard UN personnel.