Gaza Humanitarian Response Update | 2 - 15 March 2025

Girls carrying winter assistance items provided to them in Gaza city, 13 March 2025. Photo by OCHA/Olga Cherevko

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Period: 2 - 15 March 2025

The information below is provided on a bi-weekly basis 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.

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Food Security Sector (FSS)

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Response

After more than two weeks without aid entering Gaza, most flour distributions have been suspended to prioritize supplies for bakeries and fresh produce distributions have been paused. This has reduced the number of people receiving food assistance each week. Meanwhile, some flour and food parcel distributions are ongoing, prioritizing larger families and the most vulnerable groups with reduced rations, aiming to stretch the limited supplies and assist a greater number of people. The FSS estimates that more than 50,000 metric tons (MT) of food supplies are required monthly to assist 2.1 million people with full rations. In addition, over 9,700 MT of flour are needed per month to keep the subsidized bakeries running without interruption and ensure that people have access to affordable bread.  
On 10 March, a new community kitchen opened in Beit Lahiya, in North Gaza, serving 10,000 meals daily. As of 7 March, approximately 840,000 cooked meals were being prepared across 170 kitchens and distributed daily to families throughout the Gaza Strip.
As of 16 March, 19 out of 25 subsidized bakeries supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) remain operational, including one in Rafah, five in Deir al Balah, four in Khan Younis, eight in Gaza city and one in North Gaza. Despite the closure of six bakeries (five in Khan Younis and one in Deir al Balah on 7 and 8 March), overall bread production has been maintained at 160,000 bread bundles (2 Kg per bundle) per day, as the still operational bakeries have so far been able to scale up production to mitigate gaps.
To improve access to bread, FSS partners are collaborating with 24 retail shops selling subsidized bread at 17 points in Deir al Balah and seven in Khan Younis. Efforts are underway to establish similar points in northern Gaza to increase bread coverage and reduce overcrowding. In parallel, partners continue to deliver free bread to selected shelters and community kitchens, where it is distributed alongside cooked meals across the Gaza Strip.
Between late February and early March, around 10,000 vegetable seed kits that had entered the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire were distributed to support home gardening at both household or community levels in Rafah, Khan Younis and Deir al Balah. This initiative aims to contribute to dietary diversity and improve nutrition intake.
During the reporting period, more than 10 FSS partners have carried out a joint quantitative assessment to better understand the needs and challenges of farmers, breeders and fishers and an analysis of findings is underway.

Challenges

The closure of all border crossing points since 2 March has prevented the entry of aid, including food supplies, jeopardizing recent improvements in dietary diversity and food availability and threatening to reverse food security gains made since the ceasefire. At least 80 community kitchens are at risk of running out of stock in one to two weeks, as they also struggle in affording the rising prices of dwindling food items on the local market. In response, partners are adapting their strategies to sustain operations—some are adjusting meal content, while some are reducing the number of meals.
According to the latest WFP market monitoring analysis for the first half of March, the halt in the entry of supplies has led to an immediate surge in the prices of essential goods on the market, particularly for some key food items such as potatoes and eggs. Some fruits and vegetables experienced a 200 per cent increase against prices prior to the closure of the crossings. Fearing prolonged restrictions, some traders reported withholding basic goods. While some price volatility has since stabilized, a gradual increase in prices continues.
Cash liquidity shortages remain a major challenge for families wishing to purchase essential goods and for shop owners who need to replenish their stocks. Insufficient access to financial services is also hampering daily operations of FSS partners, including the scale-up of cash and voucher assistance.
Delivery of cooked meals and bread to North Gaza, where there is only one kitchen and one subsidized bakery, remains challenging due to poor road conditions and infrastructure.
The closure of crossings has sparked a severe energy crisis in Gaza, with diesel prices rising by up to 105 per cent and cooking gas prices soaring by up to 200 per cent compared to February. Access to energy remains limited, with cooking gas unavailable through official gas distribution channels and only available in very limited quantities. This is severely affecting the ability of families to prepare food as well as the functionality of bakeries and community kitchens.
Safe access of farmers, breeders, and fishers to their lands, livestock and the sea is critical for resuming agricultural activities and restoring the food supply chain. The FSS emphasizes that the import of agricultural and fish production inputs and tools needs to resume, the removal of hazardous materials, including unexploded ordnance, should continue, and fishers must be granted safe access to fishing waters without fear of harm.

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Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

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Response

Between 2 and 15 March, the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) reported that a daily average of 127,022 cubic metres of water was produced across the Gaza Strip. About 33 per cent (41,811 cubic metres) of drinking water was produced from the two operational seawater desalination plants and supplied through two out of three Mekorot supply lines from Israel, while about 67 per cent (85,211 cubic metres) was produced by municipal ground water wells.
As of 16 March, WASH Cluster partners reported that over 1,340 water points are operational across the Gaza Strip, with more than 95 per cent supporting water trucking activities.
A medical waste service, which was activated through the Joint Service Council in southern Gaza, continues to operate as a contingency measure to ensure that infectious waste is securely stored in a dedicated location until it can be appropriately treated and disposed. Efforts are underway by partners to establish a similar operation in northern Gaza.
During the reporting period, UNICEF conducted a series of training sessions on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), targeting frontline contractor staff engaged in water trucking.
During the reporting period, WASH Cluster partners continued essential WASH interventions across the Gaza Strip, including water trucking, distribution of hygiene items, 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 governorate, CMWU and three WASH partners reported trucking a total of 670 cubic metres of drinking water to returning internally displaced persons (IDPs) across 89 locations. Currently, one municipal water desalination plant is operational to help address critical shortages caused by extensive damage to water facilities and the inaccessibility of infrastructure located in the buffer and no-go zones.  
- In Khan Younis governorate, 15 partners reported trucking 1,672 cubic metres of drinking water and 4,276 cubic metres of domestic water to 307 locations, including displacement sites, schools-turned shelters, and humanitarian service delivery points. During the same period, partners also distributed 1,600 hygiene items.
- In Deir al Balah governorate, 18 partners reported trucking 1,094 cubic metres of drinking water and 2,531 cubic metres of domestic water to 236 locations, including displacement sites, schools-turned shelters, healthcare facilities and humanitarian service delivery points.  Two partners distributed 1,800 hygiene supplies. The Al Amal temporary waste site is nearly full.
- In Gaza governorate, 20 partners reported trucking 2,172 cubic metres of drinking water and 2,069 cubic metres of domestic water to 434 locations, including displacement sites, schools-turned shelters, and humanitarian service delivery points. Additionally, partners distributed 3,200 hygiene supplies.
- In North Gaza governorate, nine partners reported trucking 1,129 cubic metres of drinking water and 4,610 cubic metres of domestic water to 285 locations, including displacement sites. Two UNRWA wells are operational in Jabalya and work is underway to repair two additional wells.

Challenges

During the reporting period, two key challenges significantly hampered drinking water production, particularly in Deir al Balah. Firstly, the damaged Mekerot Bani Said waterline, located in the buffer and no-go zones, remains inaccessible due to the lack of approval to conduct repair works. Secondly, the electric feeder line to the Southern Gaza Desalination Plant—the only facility that received electricity since November 2024, which was repaired between 3 and 6 of March, was disconnected by the Israeli authorities on 9 March. As a result, water production by the plant was reduced from 17-18,000 to 2,500 cubic metres per day. To compensate for the shortfall, the CMWU is maintaining a relatively high production of domestic water from groundwater wells.
Restrictions on the entry of core humanitarian items critical for the production, treatment and distribution of water, as well as the safe disposal of excreta and solid waste, continue to limit the ability of WASH partners to maintain public health response activities. These restrictions affect essential items such as generators, generator and vehicle spare parts, water chemicals, laboratory equipment and construction materials.
The lack of fuel to maintain WASH sector facilities and related service delivery in the absence of electricity since October 2023 remains a significant challenge. To mitigate the risks, partners continually prioritize the usage of limited fuel supplies based on population movements and the extent of damage of water and sewage lines in a particular area.
The temporary solid waste dump sites are reaching full capacity, while the landfill sites at Sofa and Johr al Dik remain inaccessible. Identifying alternative locations remains a significant challenge due to access restrictions and the pressing need for debris management.

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