OCHA: Deadly strikes underscore fragility of Gaza ceasefire

20 November 2025

OCHA is deeply concerned about strikes in which civilians in Gaza were reportedly killed and injured yesterday – including children. This is a stark reminder of how fragile the ceasefire is, and why civilians must always be protected and spared from harm.

Meanwhile, OCHA says that despite impediments that remain, aid groups are pushing hard to reach as many people as they can with critical assistance.

As of Monday, the daily number of meals distributed in Gaza has reached 1.4 million. This is up from fewer than a million meals just a month ago. The UN is currently supporting a network of 27 partners running nearly 200 kitchens across the Strip – and the scale-up continues.

Partners leading on nutrition say the number of sites offering outpatient therapeutic feeding for children with acute malnutrition has jumped from just seven before the ceasefire to 146 today.

Shelter support is also ongoing. On Monday alone, partners distributed more than 4,000 tents, 39,000 tarpaulins, 28,000 bedding items and hundreds of clothing items to families in need.

Child protection teams have been busy as well. On Monday and Tuesday, they reached more than 2,700 displaced children and 1,700 caregivers with services ranging from mental health support and counselling to recreational activities, targeted follow-ups for vulnerable children, and help to prepare for the winter.

More than 50 children at heightened risk received additional support, including registration, referrals and access to essential services. Among them were children who are unaccompanied or were separated from their families, those heading households or living with war injuries, and others lacking parental care or facing neglect.

OCHA stresses that despite all this work, what the UN and its partners can currently provide is still far from enough. The situation remains extremely dire.

On Sunday and Monday, partners leading on site management carried out a quick survey of displaced families staying along the shore in Khan Younis and the Mawasi area of Rafah. This is an area hosting more than 4,000 households. Early findings show that because there is no proper system for disposing of fecal waste, many people are forced to use the sea as a toilet. At the same time, rising sea levels are pushing into tented areas and risk submerging whole sections, while strong winds have already knocked down multiple tents.

OCHA says that while the UN and its partners seize every opportunity to help people in need, they also continue to negotiate and call for greater humanitarian access. Under the humanitarian plan for the ceasefire, aid operations rely on visas and permissions to bring in supplies – for both the UN and NGOs. In addition, a wider range of equipment and essential goods must be cleared for entry, through all available crossings and routes.