OCHA: People in Gaza city face daily bombardment, further displacement amid escalating Israeli offensive

11 September 2025

OCHA reports that nearly 1 million people estimated to be in Gaza city are facing daily bombardment and struggling to access the means for survival after the Israeli military placed the entire city under a displacement order.

OCHA warns that as the Israeli offensive on famine-stricken Gaza city intensifies, people are once against being displaced, with no safe place to turn. Partners monitoring the movement of people in Gaza report that between Sunday and yesterday, more than 25,000 displacements were recorded. Since 14 August, over 73,000 movements were observed crossing from northern to southern Gaza.

Some critical services have already been suspended in Gaza city, as aid workers struggle to save lives. Severe damage has been inflicted on some humanitarian facilities, disrupting operations and the delivery of essential services.

Partners working on health report that some of them have had to suspend activities at primary healthcare centres, while partners working on nutrition say that 12 out of 49 outpatient therapeutic sites have halted services amid ongoing airstrikes in Gaza city. At least two community kitchens have also suspended operations, and three others had to relocate within the city.

Partners working on education have expressed concerns that 95 temporary learning sites in northern Gaza serving about 25,000 children may be at imminent risk of closure due to displacement orders and ongoing insecurity.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that almost half of all functional hospitals are located in Gaza city, including half of all ICU beds. With the Israeli offensive already underway in that area, WHO said the Gaza Strip cannot afford to lose any of these remaining facilities.

UNICEF warned today that child malnutrition in the Gaza Strip continues to worsen at an alarming rate, with the latest evidence showing a record proportion of children screened were identified as acutely malnourished in August – 13.5 per cent of those screened, up from 8.3 per cent in July. In raw numbers, 12,800 children were identified as acutely malnourished in August, according to the latest figures from nutrition partners.

To tackle this, UNICEF has been working to scale up the entry of essential nutrition supplies and distribute them, alongside nutrition partners, at about 140 sites across Gaza. While stocks of ready-to-use therapeutic food have recently increased, the current quantities of other critical nutrition supplies for infants and pregnant and breastfeeding women are insufficient.

Meanwhile, delays and impediments to humanitarian movements inside Gaza continue. OCHA reports that missions still take long hours to complete – even when they are approved in advance by the Israeli authorities – and teams have no choice but to wait on roads that are often dangerous or congested. Recently, OCHA has observed an increase in denials of the participation of Palestinian staff in missions. This includes both drivers and programme personnel. These denials are often communicated at the last minute, resulting in operational delays, as teams need to quickly identify alternatives.

OCHA calls for full facilitation of the work and movement of humanitarians into and throughout the Gaza Strip. This must include unimpeded access to the north and to the south alike. Every delay can cost lives.

On Friday, OCHA’s spokesperson in Gaza, Olga Cherevko, will speak to journalists from Deir al Balah at the daily press briefing at UN Headquarters, starting at 12 p.m. Eastern and livestreamed via UN Web TV.