Gaza: UN and partners expand humanitarian response – OCHA

04 November 2025

OCHA reports that the UN and its humanitarian partners continue scaling up their operations in the Gaza Strip, in line with the 60-day response plan.

This includes moving cargo into Gaza and collecting supplies from the crossings. On Sunday, the UN and its partners picked up 80 truckloads – a total that does not include bilateral and commercial deliveries. Among the cargo collected was food, animal fodder, shelter materials, winter clothing and hygiene items.

Based on preliminary data, partners report that they collected nearly 750 pallets of relief items yesterday from Kerem Shalom and transported them to Gaza city. Another four trucks delivered medicine and medical supplies. Congestion and heavy traffic continue to hamper collection efforts.

Inside Gaza, since the resumption of general food distributions on 13 October, nearly 1 million people – half of the total population – have received assistance through 46 distribution points run by partners working on food security across the Strip. Efforts are ongoing to expand so that this month, families can receive two monthly food parcels, up from one in October.

Between mid-October and this Sunday, the UN and its partners collected more than 210 metric tons of animal fodder from the crossings, and the distribution of that supply to some 1,700 herders in Deir al Balah is almost complete.

On Sunday, partners providing nutrition services collected more than 120,000 packs of fortified cereal, a nutritional supplement to prevent acute malnutrition in children. This supply is sufficient to support large numbers of children for one month, helping bridge gaps caused by shortages of other supplements.

Partners providing water and sanitation services continue to scale up their responses as well. On Saturday and Sunday, they distributed over 2,400 hygiene kits and 900 dignity kits, as well as thousands of soap bars, buckets and jerrycans to displaced families in shelters. They also installed 10 rigid water tanks as community water points to improve delivery.

Furthermore, with humanitarian support, the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility began rehabilitating three water wells supplying neighbourhoods in Gaza city.

Meanwhile, partners providing protection support report that their services remain under severe strain due to displacement, damage and insecurity, with major gaps in the north. Despite this, they continue to respond wherever possible.

Yesterday, over 300 children joined protection and rights awareness sessions, while more than 100 adolescents and caregivers accessed psychosocial support. Another 300 children participated in structured learning activities, while children with disabilities received rehabilitation support. About 775 at-risk children and their families were referred for additional assistance.

Also yesterday, more than 700 women and girls took part in psychosocial and first aid sessions in the areas of Khan Younis, Deir al Balah, Nuseirat and Al Mawasi. Another 500 women in Deir al Balah and Al Mawasi area received dignity kits and menstrual health items to reduce health and protection risks.

OCHA reiterates that to fully deliver on the 60-day humanitarian plan, the UN and its humanitarian partners need a durable ceasefire, more functional crossings, the lifting of bureaucratic hurdles, safe and viable routes inside Gaza, sustained funding, and unimpeded access – including for NGOs.

West Bank: UN Relief Chief calls for protection and accountability as attacks on Palestinians continue

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, today appealed for the protection of Palestinians, amid reports of ongoing attacks by Israeli settlers across the West Bank. He noted that many of these attacks are related to Palestinians’ attempts to harvest their olive crops.

Mr. Fletcher stressed that the failure to prevent or punish such attacks is inconsistent with international law – calling for perpetrators to be held accountable.