UNRWA Situation Report #164 on Gaza and the West Bank

Displaced Palestinians break their fast amid the rubble in Nuseirat, middle areas, Gaza Strip, March 2025._11zon

Highlights

• On the night between 17 and 18 March, the Israeli Forces resumed airstrikes and bombardments across the Gaza Strip. As a result, around 500 people were reportedly killed, including more than 170 children.  These strikes come two weeks after Israeli authorities initiated a total siege of the Gaza Strip, blocking all humanitarian aid and supplies from entering since 2 March and not providing any humanitarian assistance to the population in need.

• Since the start of the ceasefire, UNRWA has delivered food assistance to the entire population of the Gaza Strip. During the same reporting period, UNRWA teams have provided nearly 579,000 health consultations and reached more than half a million people with shelter and non-food items like tents, tarpaulins, blankets, clothes, and hygiene kits. OCHA reports that over one million people risk being left without food parcels in March if supplies are not urgently allowed into Gaza.

• The Israeli Forces’ large-scale operation that started in Jenin camp and other areas of northern West Bank on 21 January 2025 is ongoing, making it by far the single longest Israeli Forces’ operation in the West Bank since the second intifada in the early 2000s and causing the largest population displacement since the 1967 war. UNRWA and partners continue to provide urgent humanitarian assistance and psychosocial support (PSS) to families displaced within the northern West Bank.

Key points

The Gaza Strip

• On the night between 17 and 18 March, the Israeli Forces conducted airstrikes and bombardments across the Gaza Strip. As a result, around 500 people were reportedly killed, including more than 170 children. On 18 March, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini stated “Awful scenes of civilians killed among them children following waves of heavy bombardment from Israeli Forces overnight. Fueling “hell on earth” by resuming the war will only bring more despair and suffering. A return to the ceasefire is a must.”

• On 18 March, the Israeli authorities issued new evacuation orders for multiple areas in the Gaza Strip. OCHA reported that 19 neighbourhoods were directly affected, including 13 in North Gaza and six in eastern Khan Younis, affecting an estimated 30,000 and 35,000 people, respectively.

• On 2 March, the Israeli authorities announced a halt to humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, including fuel. No supplies – humanitarian or commercial – have entered Gaza since then. This is longer than in the beginning of the war when the Israeli authorities laid a siege that lasted from 7-21 October 2023.  Critical supplies, including food and medical equipment, are running low and are urgently needed to respond to the already dire humanitarian situation.

• On 16 March, UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Director Edouard Beigbeder stated: “Without aid entering the Gaza Strip, roughly 1 million children are living without the very basics they need to survive – yet again,” adding that “approximately 4,000 newborns are currently unable to access essential lifesaving care due to the major impact on medical facilities in the Gaza Strip.”

• Despite the siege and existing challenges, UNRWA continues to  delivering aid and providing services to communities overwhelmed by nearly 1.5 years of constant bombardment, forced displacement, and lack of critical resources. Since 19 January, UNRWA teams have delivered critical food assistance to the entire population of the Gaza Strip.

• UNRWA runs 116 shelters across the Gaza Strip, with around 148,000 displaced people residing in them.

• Since 19 January (when the ceasefire started), more than half a million people across all five Governorates have received non-food items, including blankets, mattresses, floor mats, clothes, kitchen items, and tarpaulins for rain protection. As of 9 March, over 100,000 families (or more than an estimated 600,000 people) had received bedding items through UNRWA, around 63,000 families (or around 416,000 people) had been reached with tarpaulins, and more than 31,000 winter clothing kits had been distributed to vulnerable adults. Over 14,400 families (or around 72,000 people) have been reached by UNRWA teams with tents since the ceasefire started.

• Since the start of the ceasefire until 16 March 2025, UNRWA health teams have provided nearly 579,000 health consultations (or around 15,000 per working day), antenatal, post-natal and family planning care for over 39,000 women, dental and oral health services in fixed and mobile clinics reaching over 24,000 patients, and physiotherapy rehabilitation services for over 10,000 patients.

• In March, UNRWA has established around 180 additional Temporary Learning Spaces in schools and shelters in Khan Younis, the Middle Area, Gaza and North Gaza, for a total of around 440 UNRWA Temporary Learning Spaces across the Gaza Strip. Around 50,000 children received basic learning in these spaces. Since the resumption of the bombardment, UNRWA has been forced to halt these learning activities.

• According to the UN, at least 1.9 million people – or about 90 per cent of the population – across the Gaza Strip were displaced during the war. Many have been displaced repeatedly, some 10 times or more. Since the start of the ceasefire, new population movements have been reported, with people trying to return to whatever is left of their homes. Most homes (92 per cent according to the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MoPWH) have been either severely damaged or destroyed. Since the recent evacuation orders were issued, it is likely that more people will be forced to flee in search of safety.

• Between 7 October 2023 and 17 March 2025, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, as stated by OCHA, at least 48,577 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Gaza and 112,041 have been injured.

• OCHA reports that, the MoH in Gaza published the breakdown of 40,717 out of 42,010 fatalities as of 7 October 2024. These reportedly include 13,319 children, 7,216 women, 3,447 elderly, and 16,735 men. Among the child fatalities, 786 children are under one year of age, representing about six per cent of  children killed whose full identification details have been documented, the MoH further reported. Additionally, as of 7 October 2024, the MoH noted that 35,055 children had lost one or both parents over the past year.

• The total number of UNRWA team members killed since 7 October 2023 is 281.

The occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem

• According to OCHA, between 7 October 2023 and 14 March 2025, 902 Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Of those, 96 Palestinians, including at least 17 children, who were killed only since the year began.

• The Israeli Forces large-scale operation that started in the northern West Bank on 21 January 2025 continues, with demolition and destruction of homes , including reports of Israeli Forces ordering residents to vacate homes, and Israeli Forces setting fire to houses.  Around 200 families were displaced from Tulkarm Camp by Israeli Forces.

• On 10 March, a Palestinian on a motorcycle was hit and killed by an Israeli Forces vehicle in Jenin, and on 11 March,  four Palestinians were killed in Jenin by the Israeli Forces among them one elderly woman.

• UNRWA and partners continued the delivery of emergency assistance to the displaced people/ families? in the northern West Bank, including food kits and other in-kind assistance.

• Early on 11 March, Israeli Forces conducted a search operation in Azzun, east of Qalqiliya. They temporarily detained around  180 Palestinians, subjecting them to field interrogations before taking some into detention.

• Bulldozing and uprooting of olive trees by Israeli Forces occurred in the area between Salfit and Bruqin in the northern West Bank over four days between 12 and 16 March, allegedly linked to the expansion of an Israeli illegal outpost.

Overall situation

The Gaza Strip

• Between 7 October 2023 and 17 March 2025, according to the MoH in Gaza as stated by OCHA, at least 48,577 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in the Gaza Strip while 112,041 have been reported injured.

Humanitarian access, protection of civilians

As of 11 March 2025, 805* incidents impacting UNRWA premises and the people inside them have been reported since the beginning of the war. 311* UNRWA installations have been impacted by armed conflict-related incidents since the beginning of the war, some on multiple occasions. UNRWA estimates that, in total, at least 738* persons sheltering in UNRWA installations have been killed and at least 2,401* injured since the start of the war. UNRWA continues to verify and update the number of casualties caused by these incidents.

*Since the start of the war in October 2023, the latest casualty figures are continuously under review as UNRWA gains access to locations that were previously inaccessible and as further verifications occur. The summary figures will be published/updated as information becomes available, noting that these numbers are subject to change once verifications are concluded.

UNRWA response

The Gaza Strip

Health

• According to the Health Cluster, UNRWA remains one of the largest health actors operating in the Gaza Strip, contributing to over half of the people reached with health services since 7 October 2023. Between 7 October 2023 and 9 March 2025, UNRWA provided over 7.8 million medical consultations across the Gaza Strip.

• In addition to medical consultations, UNRWA (in partnership with and supported by other UN agencies, including UNICEF and WHO) continued to vaccinate children. Over 259,000 routine vaccines have been given to children from January 2024. In addition, around 560,000 children under the age of 10 across the Gaza Strip have been vaccinated against polio in the first two rounds of the campaign.

• A third round of the polio vaccination campaign supported by UNRWA, WHO, UNICEF, and other partners took place between 22 and 26 February 2025 in the Gaza Strip, reaching over 600,000 children under the age of 10 with this critical vaccine. With over 1,700 personnel organised in 555 mobile and fixed teams, UNRWA vaccinated over 213,000 children, constituting around one third of the overall polio vaccination response.

• Since the start of the ceasefire until 16 March 2025, UNRWA health teams have provided nearly 579,000 health consultations (or around 15,000 per working day), antenatal, post-natal and family planning care for over 39,000 women, dental and oral health services in fixed and mobile clinics reaching over 24,000 patients, and physiotherapy rehabilitation services for over 10,000 patients.

• As of 15 March, only six out of 22 UNRWA health centres and five additional UNRWA-rented facilities used as temporary health centres were operational in Gaza. Health services are also provided through 115 mobile medical teams working in 44 medical points inside and outside shelters in the middle area, Khan Younis, Al Mawasi and Gaza City. UNRWA health facilities provide primary health care, including outpatient services, non-communicable disease care, giving out medications, vaccination, antenatal and postnatal health care, laboratory and dental services, physiotherapy and dressings for the injured. The number of operational health facilities changes constantly based on demand, access and security.

• Between 10 and 16 March, an average of 1,024 UNRWA health staff worked in health centres, temporary clinics and medical points across the Gaza Strip, providing 71,536 health consultations during the reporting period.

• UNRWA continued to provide mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services in the middle and Khan Younis areas, with teams of psychiatrists, psychosocial counsellors and supervisors to assist special cases referred from UNRWA health centres and shelters. Between 10 and 16 March, UNRWA teams responded to 1,610 cases in health centres and at medical points through individual consultations, awareness sessions and to address cases of gender-based violence (GBV).  

• Between 10 and 16 March, UNRWA medical teams provided care for 4,838 post-natal and pregnant women at high risk, dental and oral health services in fixed and mobile clinics reaching 2,723 patients, and physiotherapy rehabilitation services for 1,374 patients in health centres and medical points.

• Since the ceasefire started until 24 February, UNRWA health teams have received nearly 550 pallets of medical supplies including medicines, laboratory and dental supplies, and enough insulin syringes for over 17,000 people for eight months. Most of these supplies will cover UNRWA Health services for two months, and some up to eight months.

Psychosocial Support and Learning

• UNRWA remains the largest provider of emergency learning and PSS across the Gaza Strip. Around 660,000 children are out of school due to the war.  “Back to Learning” activities are taking place in 439 Temporary Learning Spaces in 51 UNRWA schools-turned-shelters, with the support of around 1,000 teachers and up to 600[2]school counsellors. Between 10 and 16 March 2025, 50,159 children (22,160 boys, 27,999 girls, including 683 children with disabilities) participated in basic literacy and numeracy activities, PSS sessions and recreational activities including arts, music and sports. Since the resumption of the bombardment, UNRWA has been forced to halt these learning activities.

• On 1 January 2025, UNRWA launched a new distance learning programme, combining online with onsite learning. To date, 277,716 children (149,794 boys, 130,922 girls) have enrolled in the programme and received basic learning activities delivered by thousands of teachers covering Arabic, English, mathematics, and science. During the reporting period 29,876 children received learning materials and 56,209 children were provided with PSS kits.

• UNRWA continues to provide lifesaving PSS services in Gaza. Since the onset of the war and up to 16 March 2025, around 730,000 displaced people, including over 520,000 children, have benefited from 289,834 PSS sessions and activities. Between 10 and 16 March, a total of 20,891 displaced people accessed these services.  

• Between 7 October 2023 and 16 March 2025, UNRWA’s social work team has provided services to 209,711 displaced people, including psychological first aid, PSS services, family and individual activities, as well as case management. During the same reporting period, protection services were provided to 1,898 survivors of GBV and 3,814 children, including 1,779 unaccompanied children. The team also supported 22,943 persons with disabilities with PSS; 7,753 of these individuals received assistive devices and rehabilitation services. Awareness sessions on GBV, child protection, disability and special needs, as well as managing social and psychological stressors, were conducted for 154,582 displaced people.

Food Security

• Since the start of the war and until the start of the ceasefire (19 January 2025), over 388,000 families (nearly 1.9 million people) have been reached with two rounds of flour; at least 374,000 of those families have received three rounds.

• UNRWA continues to distribute food parcels wherever possible. These include[3] rice, lentils, beans, oil, salt, sugar, milk powder, hummus, halawa, yeast, and canned fish, and are designed to meet the needs of a family of five for two weeks. Up until the start of the ceasefire, at least 1.7 million people have been reached, of whom at least 215,000 people have received two rounds of food parcels since the war started.

• In addition to the distribution of UNRWA food parcels, the Agency distributes food parcels on behalf of other UN organisations, having reached over 1.4 million people before the start of the ceasefire.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

• Since October 2023, UNRWA has carried out emergency WASH activities across the Gaza Strip.  The main activities include operating and maintaining water wells and desalination systems and supplying water with water trucks and bottled water. In addition, UNRWA continues to distribute hygiene kits and maintain hygiene in UNRWA shelters and sites through cleaning supplies, community-based solid waste management and pest control.

• In March so far, UNRWA teams have provided 35,500 cubic metres of water to displaced people in emergency shelters and other UNRWA facilities. In the north alone, UNRWA has provided over 4,000 cubic metres of water for over 25,000 people.

• UNRWA continues to provide a solid waste collection and transfer service wherever possible. In March so far, over 4,000 tons of solid waste have been collected by UNRWA sanitation teams. In Rafah, UNRWA supported the cleaning of schools, health centres and streets in Al Shaborah and Khirbat Aladas.

• Since the start of the ceasefire until 4 February, UNRWA has reached nearly 475,000 people with clean water. Over the same period, UNRWA has collected over 13,000 tons of solid waste.