Gaza Humanitarian Response Update | 27 April- 10 May 2025

Children in Khan Younis attending one of 219 temporary learning spaces set up as alternatives to formal schools, currently serving 117,000 learners. Photo by OCHA/Olga Cherevko

[dexp_builder_row class='' equal_height='0' wrapper='0' wrapper_class='' html_id='' background_color='' background_image='file:file:file:' background_type='default' background_position='default' background_repeat='no-repeat' background_size='auto' margin_top='' margin_left='' margin_right='' margin_bottom='' padding_top='' padding_left='' padding_right='' padding_bottom='' border_top='' border_left='' border_right='' border_bottom='' border_color='' border_style='solid' border_radius='' animate='' animate_delay='0'][dexp_builder_col xs='12' sm='12' md='' lg='not-set'][dexp_builder_html class='' background_color='' background_image='file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:' background_type='default' background_position='default' background_repeat='no-repeat' background_size='auto' margin_top='' margin_left='' margin_right='' margin_bottom='' padding_top='' padding_left='' padding_right='' padding_bottom='' border_top='' border_left='' border_right='' border_bottom='' border_color='' border_style='solid' border_radius='' animate='' animate_delay='0']

Period: 27 April- 10 May 2025

The information below is provided every other week by Clusters and select Technical Working Groups operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). For an overview of priority needs and activities by cluster, please see the Flash Appeal.

[/dexp_builder_html][/dexp_builder_col][/dexp_builder_row][dexp_builder_row class='' equal_height='0' wrapper='0' wrapper_class='' html_id='' background_color='' background_image='file:' background_type='default' background_position='default' background_repeat='no-repeat' background_size='auto' margin_top='' margin_left='' margin_right='' margin_bottom='' padding_top='' padding_left='' padding_right='' padding_bottom='' border_top='' border_left='' border_right='' border_bottom='' border_color='' border_style='solid' border_radius='' animate='' animate_delay='0' collapse='false'][dexp_builder_col xs='' sm='12' md='not-set' lg='12' xl='not-set' class='' background_color='' background_image='file:file:file:file:file:' background_type='default' background_position='default' background_repeat='no-repeat' background_size='auto' margin_top='' margin_left='' margin_right='' margin_bottom='' padding_top='' padding_left='' padding_right='' padding_bottom='' border_top='' border_left='' border_right='' border_bottom='' border_color='' border_style='solid' border_radius='' custom_css='' animate='' animate_delay='0'][dexp_builder_html class='' background_color='' background_image='file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:' background_type='default' background_position='default' background_repeat='no-repeat' background_size='auto' margin_top='' margin_left='' margin_right='' margin_bottom='' padding_top='' padding_left='' padding_right='' padding_bottom='' border_top='' border_left='' border_right='' border_bottom='' border_color='' border_style='solid' border_radius='' animate='' animate_delay='0']

Food Security Sector (FSS)

[/dexp_builder_html][/dexp_builder_col][/dexp_builder_row][dexp_builder_row class='' equal_height='0' wrapper='0' wrapper_class='' html_id='' background_color='' background_image='file:' background_type='default' background_position='default' background_repeat='no-repeat' background_size='auto' margin_top='' margin_left='' margin_right='' margin_bottom='' padding_top='' padding_left='' padding_right='' padding_bottom='' border_top='' border_left='' border_right='' border_bottom='' border_color='' border_style='solid' border_radius='' animate='' animate_delay='0' collapse='false'][dexp_builder_col xs='' sm='not-set' md='not-set' lg='not-set' xl='not-set' class='ml-5 pl-4' background_color='' background_image='file:file:file:file:file:file:' background_type='default' background_position='default' background_repeat='no-repeat' background_size='auto' margin_top='' margin_left='' margin_right='' margin_bottom='' padding_top='' padding_left='' padding_right='' padding_bottom='' border_top='' border_left='' border_right='' border_bottom='' border_color='' border_style='solid' border_radius='' custom_css='' animate='' animate_delay='0'][dexp_builder_html class='' background_color='' background_image='file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:' background_type='default' background_position='default' background_repeat='no-repeat' background_size='auto' margin_top='' margin_left='' margin_right='' margin_bottom='' padding_top='' padding_left='' padding_right='' padding_bottom='' border_top='' border_left='' border_right='' border_bottom='' border_color='' border_style='solid' border_radius='' animate='' animate_delay='0']

Response

As of 10 May, around 412,000 daily meals were prepared and delivered through about 87 kitchens across the Gaza Strip. This is a 60 per cent drop in meal production compared with 25 April, when 1,080,000 meals were produced daily by 180 kitchens. By 12 May, the closure of additional kitchens resulted in a drop of around 150,000 in the number of produced meals. Overall, in the first two weeks of May, at least 112 community kitchens (more than 60 per cent) had to close, leading to a 75-per-cent reduction in daily meal production, from 1.08 million meals, produced through 180 kitchens, to 259,000 meals, prepared and delivered through around 68 kitchens.
During the reporting period, partners have been working on beneficiary selection to support farmers and families in home gardening initiatives and local vegetable production to improve dietary diversity, mostly in accessible parts of Deir al Balah and Al Mawasi area of Khan Younis.
Partners have pre-positioned over 171,000 metric tons (MT) of food in the region, ready for delivery as soon as the blockade on the entry of supplies is lifted. This amount is enough to sustain the entire population of about 2.1 million people for three to four months.
The findings of the joint Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis were published on 12 May and show a significant deterioration compared with the October 2024 IPC analysis. The analysis projects that between 11 May and the end of September 2025, all of the Gaza Strip’s territory is expected to continue to be classified in the Emergency phase (IPC Phase 4) and the entire population is expect to face Crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity (IPC 3 or above); this includes 470,000 people (22 per cent of the population) expected to be in the Catastrophe phase (IPC Phase 5), over a million people (54 per cent) in the Emergency phase (IPC Phase 4), and half a million people (24 per cent) in the Crisis phase (IPC Phase 3).

Challenges

The food security and nutrition situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate rapidly, as the full blockade since 2 March 2025 has prevented the entry of food assistance, nutrient supplements, and therapeutic food vital for the treatment of malnutrition. This has led to dwindling stocks in local markets, rising prices of the few supplies that remain available, and the provision of only limited humanitarian assistance through community kitchens. For example, during the first week of May, a one 25-kilogram bag of wheat flour, when found, was sold at upwards of 1,500 ILS (US$ 415) in Gaza city, representing an increase of more than 3,000 per cent compared with the last week of February. Most families no longer have access to affordable bread following the closure of all 25 subsidized bakeries since 1 April, while the skyrocketing price of flour, and lack of cooking energy, prevent many families from baking. According to the WFP market monitor and food security analysis conducted in April, food consumption in Gaza has sharply deteriorated, undoing the modest recovery observed in February, during the ceasefire. This significantly undermined dietary diversity during the first week of April.
As of 10 May, the lack of supplies and limited access to fuel have forced more than 90 community kitchens to close in the past two weeks, which is about half of community kitchens that were operating as of 25 April. This number continues to rise daily and, as one of the last remaining lifelines for families across Gaza, is having a critical impact on the rapidly deteriorating food security situation. Most of the remaining kitchens have been forced to adjust meal content and/or reduce the number of meals prepared daily to stretch dwindling resources if crossings remain closed. The single daily meal provided through community kitchens is insufficient to meet the daily caloric and dietary diversity needs of children and adults.
Growing overcrowding is being observed across all remaining operational kitchens, leading to increasing safety concerns, social tensions and further marginalization of vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, orphans, the elderly and single-headed households, who are less likely to physically access kitchens and collect meals. People are generally resorting to extreme coping mechanisms, such as reducing both the size and frequency of meals, limiting bread consumption to children, and allocating just one piece per family member per day. According to FSS partners’ monitoring exercise during the reporting period, families are eating an average of just one and a half meals per day. Adults in many households skip meals to prioritize children or sending children away to eat with relatives or neighbours. To stretch the meagre supplies remaining from past aid distributions and compensate for bread shortage, many families are also mixing crushed macaroni with flour to bake bread.
Food production and food systems in Gaza have been severely weakened by the lack of safe access of farmers, breeders, and fishers to their lands, livestock and the sea. Since 18 March 2025, access to cropland available for cultivation has significantly declined, with 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip now falling within Israeli-militarized zones, under displacement orders or both. As food supplies continue to dwindle and as fresh produce remains scarce and unaffordable, some wholesalers, fishers and farmers are forced to take grave risks to reach areas near or within the Israeli-militarized zones or the sea. In April and May, several incidents were reported in which fishing boats were hit or came under Israeli fire near the shore, resulting in casualties among fishers. Since October 2023, the Israeli authorities have banned sailing off Gaza's shore, but some fishers have continued to work within less than one nautical mile from the short using non-motorized boats since over 70 per cent of fishing assets have been destroyed or damaged.

[/dexp_builder_html][/dexp_builder_col][/dexp_builder_row][dexp_builder_row class='' equal_height='0' wrapper='0' wrapper_class='' html_id='' background_color='' background_image='file:' background_type='default' background_position='default' background_repeat='no-repeat' background_size='auto' margin_top='' margin_left='' margin_right='' margin_bottom='' padding_top='' padding_left='' padding_right='' padding_bottom='' border_top='' border_left='' border_right='' border_bottom='' border_color='' border_style='solid' border_radius='' animate='' animate_delay='0' collapse='false'][dexp_builder_col xs='12' sm='12' md='' lg='not-set'][dexp_builder_row class='' equal_height='0' wrapper='0' wrapper_class='' html_id='' background_color='' background_image='file:' background_type='default' background_position='default' background_repeat='no-repeat' background_size='auto' margin_top='' margin_left='' margin_right='' margin_bottom='' padding_top='' padding_left='' padding_right='' padding_bottom='' border_top='' border_left='' border_right='' border_bottom='' border_color='' border_style='solid' border_radius='' animate='' animate_delay='0' collapse='false'][dexp_builder_col xs='' sm='12' md='not-set' lg='12' xl='not-set' class='' background_color='' background_image='file:file:file:file:file:' background_type='default' background_position='default' background_repeat='no-repeat' background_size='auto' margin_top='' margin_left='' margin_right='' margin_bottom='' padding_top='' padding_left='' padding_right='' padding_bottom='' border_top='' border_left='' border_right='' border_bottom='' border_color='' border_style='solid' border_radius='' custom_css='' animate='' animate_delay='0'][dexp_builder_html class='' background_color='' background_image='file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:' background_type='default' background_position='default' background_repeat='no-repeat' background_size='auto' margin_top='' margin_left='' margin_right='' margin_bottom='' padding_top='' padding_left='' padding_right='' padding_bottom='' border_top='' border_left='' border_right='' border_bottom='' border_color='' border_style='solid' border_radius='' animate='' animate_delay='0']

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

[/dexp_builder_html][/dexp_builder_col][/dexp_builder_row][dexp_builder_row class='' equal_height='0' wrapper='0' wrapper_class='' html_id='' background_color='' background_image='file:' background_type='default' background_position='default' background_repeat='no-repeat' background_size='auto' margin_top='' margin_left='' margin_right='' margin_bottom='' padding_top='' padding_left='' padding_right='' padding_bottom='' border_top='' border_left='' border_right='' border_bottom='' border_color='' border_style='solid' border_radius='' animate='' animate_delay='0' collapse='false'][dexp_builder_col xs='' sm='not-set' md='not-set' lg='not-set' xl='not-set' class='ml-5 pl-4' background_color='' background_image='file:file:file:file:file:file:' background_type='default' background_position='default' background_repeat='no-repeat' background_size='auto' margin_top='' margin_left='' margin_right='' margin_bottom='' padding_top='' padding_left='' padding_right='' padding_bottom='' border_top='' border_left='' border_right='' border_bottom='' border_color='' border_style='solid' border_radius='' custom_css='' animate='' animate_delay='0'][dexp_builder_html class='' background_color='' background_image='file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:file:' background_type='default' background_position='default' background_repeat='no-repeat' background_size='auto' margin_top='' margin_left='' margin_right='' margin_bottom='' padding_top='' padding_left='' padding_right='' padding_bottom='' border_top='' border_left='' border_right='' border_bottom='' border_color='' border_style='solid' border_radius='' animate='' animate_delay='0']

Response

Between 25 April and 8 May, the Palestinian Water Authority and Coastal Municipalities Water Utility reported an average daily production from public utilities of 98,911 cubic metres of water across the Gaza Strip. The reduction in water production, approximately 7,000 cubic meters per day since the last reporting period, can mainly be attributed to the loss of Al Mentar – Mekerot water line from Israel, which was damaged on the 1 May and repaired by 4 May. Of the total amount of water production, 32 per cent (32,248 cubic metres) was produced by operating seawater desalination plants and through the three Mekorot pipelines from Israel. The remaining 67 per cent (66,632 cubic metres) were produced by municipal groundwater wells that have high levels of salinity. The WASH Cluster estimates that 50 to 65 per cent of the water produced is lost due to leaks in the damaged distribution network before it reaches people.
As of 8 May, WASH Cluster partners reported that over 1,600 water collection points were operational across the Gaza Strip. More than 97 per cent of these points support water trucking activities by 29 partners, who deliver 19,844 cubic metres of drinking water and 10,453 cubic metres of domestic water daily on average.
Since 30 April, solid waste at most of the spontaneous dump sites that emerged during 2024 has been collected and transferred to temporary dump sites. However, since the destruction of 30 waste collection vehicles and other heavy equipment vehicles on 21 and 22 April, collection capacity in North Gaza governorate has fallen below the rate of waste generation. Throughout April, daily solid waste generation in Gaza was estimated at between 2,500 and 2,775 cubic metres, while an average of 3,596 cubic metres per day was collected and transferred to temporary solid waste sites. As of 8 May, daily waste is transferred to 12 temporary dump sites, down from 20 dump sites that were accessible during the ceasefire, after eight sites became inaccessible in Israeli-militarized zones.
WASH partners are repairing the sewage networks in populated areas and, where possible, pumping wastewater to seawater outlets through pressurized mains. These efforts aim to mitigate the ongoing wastewater (sewage) crisis in Gaza, including critically high sewage levels in stormwater lagoons, such as Sheikh Radwan pond and Al Saftawi. To carry out these vital repairs, WASH partners are recovering sewage pipes from currently unpopulated areas; this is time-consuming and costly but is necessary due to the ongoing blockade on Gaza.
During the reporting period, 960 cleaning kits were distributed in Khan Younis. During the month of April, WASH partners distributed about 103,000 hygiene items, 40,000 water jerry cans, and 8,000 hygiene kits across the Gaza Strip.

Challenges

The shortage in water treatment chemicals is elevating serious public health risks, with public sector stocks critically low and private sector operators closing due to the lack of chemicals. Since 2 March, the blockade has prevented the entry of these and other supplies into Gaza. These chemicals are essential for maintaining reverse osmosis (RO) membranes and for chlorination needed to prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases.
Reductions in water production levels and the overall number of water collection points as well as increased population density at displacement sites are further limiting access to water. According to the WASH Cluster's third monthly light-touch monitoring survey using the WISE methodology, 90 per cent of surveyed households experienced water insecurity in April and 75 per cent of households reported worsening levels of drinking water insecurity. Amid these dire conditions, people are struggling to secure some of their basic WASH needs and are forced to make difficult choices between vital needs such as cooking and handwashing, often relying on unsafe water sources. With about 25 per cent of medical consultations linked to acute watery diarrhea, the WASH Cluster fears a rapid deterioration in public health conditions.
There are critically low levels of essential hygiene items available in Gaza for families due to the blockade. According to the WASH Cluster’s Light-Touch monitoring survey, in April, households across governorates reported reduced access to soap, as it is largely depleted and expensive when available.
Lack of access to appropriate materials, particularly pressure mains, manholes, pumps, power generation equipment, spares and consumables, is severely constraining sewage management activities. This prevents the rehabilitation of pumping stations and network repairs. In April, all treatment plants stopped operating due to severe damage, and only a few pumping stations are partially functional, with key facilities, such as Gaza city’s 7B station, being too damaged for emergency repairs. As a result, sewage is being diverted into lagoons, such as the Sheikh Radwan and Al Saftawi lagoons, which now face frequent overflow risks, heightening the risk of sewage flooding into populated areas and the associated risks of disease outbreaks.
Lack of access to the two main landfill sites, Johr al Deik and Al Fukhari (Sofa), along with the unavailability of essential spare parts and equipment for the solid waste vehicle fleet, are limiting ongoing secondary solid waste collection and disposal activities, increasing waste accumulation in populated areas, and rendering public health conditions more dire. In North Gaza, the Al Khozondar site is nearing full capacity, and no alternative locations have been identified. In Gaza city, Old Feras Market (150,000 cubic metres) and Al Yarmouk (20,000 cubic meters) have reached dangerously high levels of waste accumulation in populated areas, but there are no viable temporary dump sites that are currently accessible.