Gaza Humanitarian Response Update | 16 - 29 March 2025

Response

• On 28 March, the findings of an assessment conducted by the WASH Cluster in January, prior to the breakdown of the ceasefire, indicated improvements in water and sanitation services compared with the August 2024 assessment. For example, one third of households had access to less than 15 litres per person per day in January 2025, compared with half of the population in August 2024. Yet, 38 per cent cited safety concerns associated with overcrowding and competition when collecting water from collection points. Furthermore, despite some improvements during the ceasefire, public health risks persisted with half of the population having limited, unimproved or no latrines and three quarters reported being exposed to at least one environmental health risk, such as rodents and pests, stagnant water, piles of solid waste, and sewage.
• Between 16 and 28 March, the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) reported a daily average of 126,224 cubic metres of water produced across the Gaza Strip. About 28 per cent (35,100 cubic metres) of drinking water was produced by one operational seawater desalination plant or supplied through two of the three Mekorot supply lines from Israel. The remaining 72 per cent (91,124 cubic metres) was produced by municipal groundwater wells, which prior to October 2023, accounted for 80 per cent of the water supply.  Despite treatment efforts, water from wells has high levels of salinity and nitrate, typically exceeding the drinking water benchmarks issued by the World Health Organization (WHO). As a result, it is only fit for domestic and hygiene use.
• Deir al Balah is facing an acute shortage of drinking water. Since early March, Israeli authorities had cut off the electricity supply to the main desalination unit, after reconnecting it to the electricity grid in November 2024. A second plant was out of service due to a technical fault, which was only repaired on 30 March.  Meanwhile, the Mekerot pipeline from Israel is damaged in the “no go” zone along the Israeli perimeter fence around Gaza. Water is distributed through piped networks – where losses are estimated at over 50 per cent and fluctuate frequently due to ongoing damage from bombardment and limited repairs – as well as transported through trucked deliveries and direct collection at production sites.
• During the reporting period, WASH Cluster partners continued to carry out essential interventions across the Gaza Strip, including water trucking, distribution of hygiene supplies, waste collection and installation of latrines. Where access and availability of material allowed, partners also carried out ad-hoc repairs of water and sewage networks. Governorate-level response includes:
  • In Rafah, 12 partners reported trucking a total of 703 cubic metres of drinking water to IDPs across 61 locations. Currently, one municipal water desalination plant is operational to address critical shortages caused by extensive damage to water facilities and restricted access to water infrastructure located in the "no-go" zones.  
  • In Khan Younis, 18 partners reported trucking 2,611 cubic metres of drinking water and 4,363 cubic metres of domestic water to 332 locations, including displacement sites, schools-turned shelters, and humanitarian service delivery points. Partners also distributed 500 hygiene supplies.
  • In Deir al Balah, 17 partners reported trucking 1,514 cubic metres of drinking water and 2,502 cubic metres of domestic water to 188 locations, including displacement sites, schools-turned shelters, health-care facilities and humanitarian service delivery points.   Partners also distributed 1,800 hygiene supplies. 
  • In Gaza governorate, 22 partners reported trucking 2,873 cubic metres of drinking water and 1,298 cubic metres of domestic water to 504 locations, including displacement sites, schools-turned shelters, and humanitarian service delivery points. Partners also distributed 1,200 hygiene supplies. 
  • In North Gaza governorate, 15 partners reported trucking 1,239 cubic metres of drinking water and 5,160 cubic metres of domestic water to 218 locations, including displacement sites. Partners also distributed 700 hygiene supplies.
• As of 29 March, WASH Cluster partners reported that over 1,294 water collection points are operational across the Gaza Strip. More than 95 per cent of these points support water trucking activities, which deliver a daily average of 9,206 cubic metres of drinking water and 13,383 cubic metres of domestic water. 

Challenges

• Since 18 March, a new wave of Israeli military activity and forced displacement has limited the ability of WASH partners to provide services and to repair damaged facilities and networks. Recent displacement orders have rendered large parts of Gaza unsafe to access, including the entirety of Rafah. 
• On 23 March, an attack on a clearly marked sewage truck in Abasan Al Kabira killed three sanitation municipal staff, underscoring the severe risks faced by WASH partners.
• In Deir al Balah, there is a continued, sizeable deficit of drinking water, including due to lack of electricity required to operate the UNICEF-supported Southern Gaza desalination plant; a technical malfunction of the governorate’s desalination plant was repaired on 30 March, and the lack of permission from Israeli authorities since January to safely access and repair the Mekerot Bani Said water line which is located in a “no-go” zone. To compensate for the low levels of water availability, the CMWU is increasing the water production from groundwater wells, and domestic water trucking agencies are assisting affected communities.
• The blocked entry of all humanitarian aid is impeding water, sewage and solid waste management, exacerbating public health risks. For example, of the 20 solid waste trucks operated by the Joint Service Council in southern Gaza, only six are currently operational and five could be operated if the import of tires were to be allowed. Other essential items that need to be brought into Gaza include generators, spare parts, water production equipment, chemicals, laboratory equipment and construction materials.

Response

• On 18 March, the trauma referral system was activated across the Gaza Strip. During the reporting period, more than half of the hospitals receiving trauma cases reported a bed occupancy rate exceeding 80 per cent. The length of hospital stays for trauma patients ranged from three to eight weeks, depending on the severity of their injuries. On 23 March, a strike on the surgical unit of Nasser Hospital killed two patients, injured eight, and destroyed 35 in-patient beds. On the same day, Nasser Hospital reported that the bed occupancy rate was 95 per cent.
• During the reporting period, 22 hospitals and five field hospitals remained partially functional, while four field hospitals are fully functional.
• On 28 March, WHO provided medical support to the national EMT working in the emergency department (ED) of Al-Shifa medical complex, including to help them review the mass casualty management plan. Since January 2025, the ED has been receiving an average of 400 patients per day, prompting an expansion of the hospital's bed capacity to accommodate the surge in trauma cases. On 28 March, one international specialized care team was deployed to support the intensive care unit (ICU) and hemodialysis services. 
• Additionally, during the reporting period, efforts were underway by an international NGO to support the maternity building, with services expected to commence in early April. On 17 March, an oxygen generating plant – salvaged from the non-functional Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital just days before the facility was attacked – was installed at Al-Shifa. However, the hospital continues to face critical shortages of medical equipment for the ICU and specialized surgical supplies. 
• Al Wafaa Rehabilitation Hospital in Gaza city, the only operational rehabilitation facility in the Gaza Strip, is working to increase in-patient rehabilitation bed capacity. However, the facility is in an area that was recently placed under a displacement order, rendering the continuity of its services uncertain. 
• Daily medical evacuations through the Rafah Crossing have been halted. Between 16 and 29 March, four medical evacuations were carried out through Kerem Shalom Crossing, facilitating the transfer of 154 patients and 234 companions to various receiving countries, including Egypt, France, Italy, Norway, Romania, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Challenges

• Medical and humanitarian staff in Gaza continue to operate under extremely precarious conditions, including coming under attack.  On 30 March, a complex, week-long rescue operation concluded with the recovery of the bodies of eight team members from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), six from the Palestinian Civil Defense (PCD) and one from the United Nations. Their co-workers found them buried in the Tal As Sultan area of Rafah, in southern Gaza. The available information indicates that the first team was killed by Israeli forces on 23 March, and that other emergency and aid crews were struck one after another over several hours as they searched for their missing colleagues. They were buried under the sand, alongside their wrecked emergency vehicles – clearly marked ambulances, a fire truck and a UN car.
• A sharp increase in trauma patients has placed Gaza's health-care system under immense strain, amid an urgent need to restock trauma supplies, including fluids, antibiotics, external fixators and blood units. Between 18 and 31 March 2025, the Ministry of Health (MoH) reported 1,001 fatalities and 2,359 injuries. At the same time, the ongoing hostilities, combined with the needs of people already undergoing reconstruction and definitive care operations, have made the existing supplies of anesthesia medications in Gaza insufficient to meet the growing demand, including for surgery, labour and delivery, pain management, and ICU care.
• During the reporting period, with the intensification of hostilities, several health facilities have reported suspending services in areas placed under displacement orders. For example, Sheikh Hamad Hospital, a specialized rehabilitation facility in Gaza governorate, and UNRWA’s primary health-care centre that used to provide rehabilitation services in Rafah, reportedly suspended services due to being in areas slated for evacuation. 
• The full closure of border crossings for the entry of aid and other critical supplies has had a detrimental impact on the availability of essential medicines for managing trauma cases, safe labour and delivery, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and surgical interventions. Additionally, there is a critical shortage of blood units, external fixators, and medical equipment, including laboratory tools, X-ray machines, oxygen plants, and generators for energy supply to health facilities. Spare parts for urgent repairs of both ambulances and generators along with fuel (benzene) for ambulances are also in short supply.
• Restrictions on the movement of supplies between southern and northern Gaza via the “Netzarim corridor,” is limiting the ability to urgently replenish health facilities in northern Gaza with available medical supplies.

Response

• Nutrition Cluster partners have continued screening children and pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) for malnutrition where possible. No data is yet available for the reporting period. However, in the first two weeks of March, nearly 50,000 children under five years of age were screened, with over 1,200 cases of acute malnutrition identified, including 160 with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM). During same period, 15,000 PWB were screened and roughly 1,500 women received one-to-one counselling on breastfeeding and support for infant and young child feeding. 
• During the reporting period, the distribution of supplies continued, but at a lower scale due to operational challenges, including dwindling stocks that entered before the closure of crossings by Israeli authorities on 2 March. Between 1 and 25 March, about 32,900 children and 4,200 PBW have received lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS-MQ or LNS-SQ), while about 7,800 children received ready-to-use complementary food. This is compared with 93,117 children and 33,000 PBW who received LNS and 16,408 who received ready-to-use complementary food (RUCF) in February during the ceasefire.  

Challenges  

• The escalation of hostilities since 18 March has severely disrupted the provision of nutrition services. As of 29 March, at least 21 nutrition treatment sites, representing 15 per cent of all treatment sites, have closed due to damage, security concerns, or because they were in areas with displacement orders. As a result, about 350 acutely malnourished children have been deprived of their life-saving treatment at these sites.
• Depleted food supplies, soaring prices, lack of cooking fuel, and deteriorating water and sanitation conditions are reducing food intake, increasing the risk of food and water-borne diseases and worsening nutrition—reversing the progress observed during the first 42 days of the ceasefire. This is also placing an additional strain on nutrition programmes, as demand for the remaining supplies rises while replenishment remains impossible due to the halt in the entry of supplies supply entry. At the same time, rising insecurity, the issuance of displacement orders, and movement restrictions have nutrition services across Gaza. 
• The SMART survey, initially set to be launched by mid-March, has been postponed due to the recent escalation of hostilities, widespread displacement, and security concerns, making it unfeasible to conduct a representative field survey. While partners continue to screen children for acute malnutrition (wasting), the survey's suspension limits the ability to collect data on other forms of malnutrition, including stunting (chronic malnutrition), thereby limiting the ability to identify malnutrition cases that require urgent treatment. 

Response

• During the reporting period, Mine Action (MA) actors:
  • Provided 151 Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) sessions, including conflict preparedness and protection, promoting safe behavior among over 3,800 women, girls, men and boys.
  • Recorded one explosive ordnance (EO) incident, resulting in one fatality and five injuries. 
  • Conducted 18 Explosive Hazard Assessments (EHAs) in support of humanitarian operations, including in collective shelters, medical facilities, and schools. 
  • Facilitated two inter-cluster missions in support of the UN Department of Safety and Security on 16 and 27 March.
• During the reporting period, Child Protection (CP) actors:
  • Updated the urgent referral pathway for children at serious risk of harm or death in response to the increasing number of high-risk, life-threatening cases. Orientations for CP actors on the safe identification and referral of cases are ongoing. 
  • Resumed awareness-raising activities, where feasible and safe, to prevent and mitigate family separation risks. Distributed child identification bracelets for children under five to prevent family separation.
  • UNICEF resumed family reunification activities for children whose parents were killed or were forcibly separated from their parents or other caregivers, including for cases where high level coordination and safe transport is required to reunite children with their families.
• During the reporting period, actors addressing gender-based violence (GBV):
  • Updated the GBV referral pathway to reflect changes in service provider availability.
  • During the reporting period, three out of the 17 Women and Girl Safe Spaces (WGSS) in Gaza had to close due to security concerns, damage, or being in areas under displacement orders, including one in Beit Hanoun, one in North Rafah and one in Jabalya. The remaining 14 WGSS are partially operational, providing support only to complex GBV cases through remote case management. Two WGSS have been able to conduct basic community outreach, focusing on referring people to places where they can seek help for GBV.
  • Case management remains available only for high-risk cases, with more than 600 complex GBV cases currently being supported by GBV partners. However, the total number of GBV survivors in Gaza is estimated to be much higher.
  • Distributed at least 750 hygiene kits and 800 dignity kits, giving priority to newly displaced women, who were displaced without being able to carry any personal items. 
• Under the Housing Land and Property (HLP) Technical Working Group (TWG), a guidance note was finalized for humanitarian aid workers negotiating with landowners the stay of IDPs on private land in Gaza. Moreover, an online course on HLP and debris management in Gaza was published, along with a one-pager on mainstreaming HLP rights into debris management efforts. During the reporting period, HLP actors continued to assess the status of land records and coordinate with relevant actors, such as municipalities and land authorities in Gaza.
• Between 8 and 20 March, UNRWA protection teams continued assessing and addressing the risks and needs of displaced people across the Gaza Strip, identifying vulnerable people and facilitating their referral to specialized services. During this period, 28 new critical child protection cases were identified and supported. Protection monitoring was conducted at 36 shelters and IDP sites, alongside 24 key informant interviews. Over 60 awareness-raising sessions on child protection, GBV and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) were conducted, reaching more than 1,100 women, girls, men and boys. 

Challenges   

• The recent escalation of hostilities, ongoing bombardment, displacement orders and the complete halt on the entry of supplies into the Gaza Strip since 2 March have worsened protection risks for Gaza’s civilian population, including its one million children, who are at risk of family separation, psychological distress and profound and long-term mental health impact. These developments have also severely affected partners’ ability to address protection risks and needs of vulnerable people, significantly disrupting protection services. Several protection partners have also had staff forcibly displaced, further limiting service delivery and response capacity. 
• On 27 March, remaining UNRWA international staff left the Gaza Strip. Due to the implementation of the ban from the State of Israel on UNRWA via the Knesset bill, international UNRWA staff are now banned from entering the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, UNRWA’s Palestinian local staff in Gaza continue to provide services and assistance in Gaza to people who need it most.

Response

• During the reporting period, approximately 30 temporary learning spaces (TLS) – out of 374 TLSs that had to shut down their activities following the escalation of hostilities on 18 March – have reopened, serving about 6,000 learners. These TLSs are primarily in Gaza city, Deir al Balah and western Khan Younis. While TLSs continue to provide children with access to some form of learning, they also prioritize mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) and structured recreational activities to help mitigate the effects of trauma. This focus is particularly critical given children's ongoing exposure to cyclical traumatic events, including continuous bombardment and forced displacement.
• Members of the Education Cluster are prioritizing the delivery of EORE sessions to children, including in areas outside of learning spaces. These initiatives aim to raise awareness and reduce the risk of injury or death caused by EO.

Challenges

• The escalation of hostilities has jeopardized the short-lived efforts to restore in-person learning activities that had only recently resumed during the ceasefire.
  • At least eight functional school structures and 10 TLSs, serving over 10,000 children, have been forced to close due to displacement orders. An additional 155 TLS have suspended operations, bringing the total number of TLS that were forced to shut down their activities to about 374. 
  • The Ministry of Education was forced to close all 186 government schools, which were operational as of 17 March in Deir al Balah, Rafah and Khan Younis governorates, due to the escalation of hostilities and widespread insecurity; this has deprived more than 132,000 learners of essential services, including MHPSS, social-emotional learning, EORE, and structured recreational activities. Of these, 28 schools have once again been used as IDP shelters. 
• Since the escalation of hostilities on 18 March, three schools have been reported damaged, adding to the widespread destruction of education infrastructure. Continued attacks that hit schools exacerbate safety concerns, further discouraging their use for learning.

Response

• Following the escalation of hostilities on 18 March, the Site Management Cluster has been monitoring population movements across Gaza to inform response planning and coordination. Between 18 and 29 March, five Population Movement Monitoring Flash Updates were published, indicating that over 183,000 people were newly displaced across the Gaza Strip. Given this movement, Site Management partners have reported that at least 79 sites have received IDPs during the reporting period. Progress was made on establishing a community-led reporting system that will enable site focal points within the communities to update the site demographics whenever there are new arrivals or departures. Once activated, this system will facilitate the collection of more systematic, real-time data on site populations, and ensure a more timely and well-informed response. 
• One Site Management partner is working to re-establish a reception point, ready to support vulnerable people in case of significant population movements. This reception point will provide limited food, water and other essential services to support people during their displacement. This model could be replicated in other areas across Gaza.

Challenges

• Access constraints and widespread insecurity have resulted in incomplete displacement data and reliance on a combination of social media monitoring, remote partner updates, and communications with key informants. Actual displacement figures are likely higher than what is currently reported as estimates.
• There have been reports of skin diseases among IDPs at some displacement sites in Al Mawasi area in western Khan Younis. With limited access to water and sanitation, there are concerns that these cases may worsen significantly and potentially spread to other displacement sites.

Response

• During the reporting period, Shelter Cluster partners continued to deliver shelter and non-food items from available stocks to the most vulnerable households across the Gaza Strip. Between 15 and 31 March, Shelter Cluster partners distributed roughly 7,100 blankets, 8,200 clothing kits, 1,300 pillows, 1,800 mats, 4,600 mattresses, 40,700 kitchen sets, and 3,500 torches (searchlights) to increase safety and accessibility. Most distributions took place before the escalation of hostilities on 18 March. Since then, partners have mainly focused on completing ongoing distributions and responding to referrals from other clusters, but their response capacity has been limited due to the depletion of stocks, particularly in the South.
• During the reporting period, Shelter Cluster partners reached more than 18,800 people with tarpaulins and sealing-off kits and distributed 1,240 tents across the Gaza Strip. These figures only relate to shelter materials provided or facilitated through UN Coordination.

Challenges

• Following the escalation of hostilities on 18 March, most partners suspended their activities for one or two days. While some resumed operations, many partners face challenges due to widespread insecurity. 
• Shelter and non-food stocks are reaching critical levels, particularly in central and southern Gaza, while movement between northern and southern Gaza is limited. As of 31 March, only a limited number of tents remain in stock in Gaza strip, mostly in warehouses in Gaza city, while very few are in central and southern Gaza. Moreover, approximately 40 per cent of all the available stock in central and southern Gaza belongs to partners who have had to suspend activities. As a result, response is extremely difficult particularly where the needs are high, given the mass displacement from Rafah and eastern Khan Younis. The Shelter Cluster has sought Israeli authorities’ facilitation of tent transfers from northern to southern Gaza to address urgent needs and is still awaiting response.
• Partners’ staff capacity has been significantly affected by insecurity and issuance of displacement orders, with many staff members themselves displaced. 
• Interrupted internet access has hindered operations, limiting reporting to updates communicated by phone and resulting in information gaps.

Response

• The Logistics Cluster launched a fleet capacity assessment survey on 25 March to collect data on the overall fuel requirements and types of fuel needed by partners operating in Gaza, to identify critical gaps.

Challenges

• For the fourth week in a row, all crossings into Gaza are closed to humanitarian aid and other essential goods. In Jordan, warehouses are full, and in Egypt, the number of UN/INGO trucks waiting to be dispatched has increased by 50 per cent, with about 5,500 truckloads of cargo in partners’ pipelines across all the corridors waiting to be dispatched to Gaza. This situation is leading to substantial additional costs for the Logistics Cluster partners.
• Two of the three Logistics Cluster warehouses in northern Gaza are near areas recently placed under active displacement orders. As of 1 April, the third warehouse in northern Gaza remains accessible. However, there is currently no more stock stored in any Logistic Cluster warehouse in Gaza, as all cargo has been dispatched to partners for their onward transport, storage or distribution, while no new cargo is arriving through the crossings.
• Partners in Gaza are facing fuel shortages that are restricting transport and access to essential power supplies from generators. This situation is further exacerbated by the near-total unavailability of gasoline, hindering humanitarian response efforts.

Response

• For more information on ETC activities, please visit:Palestine: Conflict | Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) (etcluster.org).

Challenges

• Telecommunications and internet services across Gaza remain severely limited due to extensive damage to the infrastructure caused by intensified hostilities, compounded by a lack of equipment for repairs and maintenance. Only limited fuel reserves are available to sustain the operation of generators and other critical infrastructure.
• ETC partners report that telecommunications equipment has been damaged or destroyed during the escalating hostilities since 18 March in both northern and southern Gaza, with Rafah being one of the most affected areas. At the same time, the halt in the entry of all supplies, including humanitarian aid and other critical goods, has severely restricted the ability to respond to urgent needs and is critically hindering ETC's ability to deliver its planned services in Gaza.
• Insufficient funding has limited the Cluster's capacity to address immediate critical communication needs for humanitarian responders in Gaza. The Cluster continues to appeal to potential donors for funding.

Protection against sexual abuse and exploitation (PSEA) remains a cross-cutting priority for all clusters. Aid distribution must be delivered with dignity and respect. Any wrongdoing can be reported through SAWA toll-free number 164. SAWA will assist and provide services free of charge and with the utmost confidentiality. 

* Asterisks indicate that a figure, sentence, or section has been rectified, added, or retracted after the initial publication of this update.