HIGHLIGHTS
For the first time in more than two years, nearly 5,170 recreational kits comprising notebooks, pencils, erasers, and crayons, entered Gaza and will support the learning of more than 375,000 children.
According to preliminary figures, health partners vaccinated nearly 6,400 children in the first four days of the second round catch up child immunization campaign.
Nine additional Temporary Learning Spaces were established across the Gaza Strip, bringing the total to 449, allowing more than 271,500 school-aged children to access in‑person education across the Strip.
Most of the population remains displaced. At least 1.3 million people are estimated to be staying in 970 sites across the Strip, mostly in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis.
SITUATION OVERVIEW
Between 19 and 22 January, airstrikes, shelling and gunfire continued to be reported across the Gaza Strip, particularly east of Jabalya in North Gaza, south-east of Gaza city, in northern and eastern Deir al Balah, east and south of Khan Younis, and west of Rafah.
The second round of the catch-up child immunization campaign (SitRep #63 refers), begun on 18 January, is proceeding apace. During the first four days of the campaign, health partners vaccinated almost 6,400 out of 17,892 targeted children, according to preliminary figures.
After more than two years of restrictions, UNICEF has been allowed to bring recreational kits to the Gaza Strip to support children’s learning. Since 15 January, nearly 5,170 such kits have entered the Strip, supporting more than 375,000 children, including 1,000 children with disabilities. The materials, which include notebooks, pencils, erasers, and crayons, will help children develop language, motor, problem-solving and socio-emotional skills, and will equip caregivers and educators with practical tools to engage children in age‑appropriate activities. UNICEF calls for sustained entry of all other education and Early Child Development supplies into Gaza, highlighting their importance for uninterrupted learning.
Recent adverse weather, including heavy storms, continues to impede access to education. Over the past week, five TLSs were impacted - three in Deir al Balah, one in Khan Younis, and one in Gaza city - affecting 3,346 school-aged children. While efforts are ongoing to repair damaged tents, there remains an urgent need for adequate quantities of high‑performance tents, which provide better resilience to severe weather.
Most of the population in Gaza remains displaced, with some 1.3 million people estimated to be sheltering in over 970 sites, the majority of which are located in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. To support ongoing efforts to meet urgent shelter needs, partners reached more than 13,000 families since 18 January with tents, tarpaulins, mattresses, blankets and winter clothing kits.
Between 19 and 21 January, Site Management Cluster (SMC) partners reported 18 weather-related damage alerts across displacement sites in Gaza, with the highest concentration in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. Seasonal hazards such as strong winds damaged more temporary structures, shattering windows, and breaking doors. Approximately 3,000 people (597 households) were affected, the vast majority living in Designated Emergency Shelters where inadequate sealing further increases exposure to cold. Partners highlighted persistent challenges in accessing essential shelter‑sealing materials, including nails, timber and other basic items required to repair window frames, reinforce doors, and enhance protection from the elements.
Between 19 and 21 January, a SMC partner conducted rapid assessments across four high‑risk makeshift displacement sites in Deir al Balah comprising 931 households: Al Bahri (207 households), Badir/Abar Al Tahleiah (280 households), Shat At‑Tal (164 households), and Zeina (280 households). The assessment confirmed that households are living in areas exposed to severe and unmitigable environmental hazards. All four sites lie along unstable coastal cliffs between Al Rasheed Road and the shoreline, putting residents at risk of cliff collapse, soil erosion, storm‑driven wave surges, recurrent flooding, extreme winds, and unsafe shelter structures, including documented fatalities in Shat Al‑Tal linked to a recent landslide. Due to the geographical configuration, ongoing erosion, and lack of feasible engineering and site‑level mitigation options, the assessment concluded that relocation is the only viable measure to reduce risk and protect the affected population.
SMC partners continue to work closely with affected communities to assess needs, coordinate emergency repairs, and prioritize the most affected locations as winter weather intensifies.
UNITED NATIONS-COORDINATED AID ENTRY*
Between 20 and 22 January, at least 11,239 pallets of aid administered by the UN and its partners were offloaded at Gaza’s crossings, based on data retrieved from the UN2720 Mechanism dashboard at 14:00 on 23 January. About 76 per cent of these pallets contained food, followed by shelter (9 per cent), nutrition (6 per cent), health (4 per cent), WASH (2 per cent), education (1 per cent) and protection supplies (1 per cent).
During the same reporting period, UNOPS international monitors deployed at Gaza’s crossings verified the collection of at least 6,796 pallets of aid from Kerem Shalom Crossing. These comprised inter alia over 4,440 pallets of food assistance, more than 1,470 pallets of shelter items including tents, blankets, tarpaulins and kitchenware, 725 pallets of health items such as intravenous solutions and medical consumables, over 144 pallets of WASH items, such as soap and cleaning supplies, 96 tons of animal feed and 3 pallets of generator spare parts.
Overall, between the announcement of the ceasefire on 10 October 2025 and 22 January 2026, at least 256,874 pallets of humanitarian cargo were offloaded, and 244,938 pallets were collected from the various crossings. Some 1,532 pallets, less than one per cent of all uplifted aid, were intercepted during transit within Gaza.
The above data does not include bilateral donations and the commercial sector.
Between 20 and 22 January, a total of 22 humanitarian movements requiring coordination with Israeli authorities were reported. Of these, 15 movements (68 per cent) were facilitated, enabling inter alia the collection of medical, food, and nutrition supplies, more than 900,000 litres of fuel, as well as the evacuation of an international Emergency Medical Team staff member for treatment in Jordan. Three movements (14 per cent) faced impediments, two of which were eventually fully accomplished, and one partially accomplished. Two other movements (9 per cent) were cancelled by the organizing agencies, while two others - assessment missions to Rafah (9 per cent) - were denied by the Israeli authorities.
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
The below are preliminary updates shared by Clusters at the time of reporting and will be reconciled and aggregated in the coming days as Clusters receive more data from the capillary network of partners active on the ground.
Food Security
As of 19 January, Food Security Sector partners reached more than 172,000 families (860,000 people) with household-level general food assistance through 52 distribution points across the Strip as part of the monthly distribution cycle. Each family received a full ration consisting of two 25-kg wheat flour bags and two food boxes.
Health
Although medical evacuations of patients outside Gaza continue (SitRep #63 refers), more than 18,500 people, including 4,000 children, remain on the list of patients to be evacuated to receive medical treatment not available inside the Strip. WHO continues to call for more Member States to accept these patients and for the reopening of the medical evacuation route to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In this context, WHO welcomes the recent approval of one patient from Gaza – the first since October 2023 – to travel to the West Bank following a Jerusalem District Court ruling.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
As of 22 January, the electricity supply to the Southern Gaza Desalination Plant (SGDP) experienced an interruption east of Salah ad-Deen Road. Although partners were able to assess the damage, carry out repairs, and restore service by 14:00, power supply collapsed again shortly thereafter. As of the morning of 23 January, the plant continued to rely on backup generators with water production capacity dramatically reduced from 15,000 cubic metres (m3) to about 2,500 m3 daily.
During the same period, cluster partners distributed more than 2,700 hygiene kits, 1,100 chlorine bottles, 700 anti-lice kits, 137 latrine kits, and 7 squatting slabs across the Strip.
Nutrition
The Nutrition Cluster is finalizing updated guidelines on inpatient admission and the management of nutritionally vulnerable children under the age of five to help ensure more consistent case management across partners, aligned with WHO/UNICEF recommendations.
Nutrition service delivery continues to face significant operational risks, notably the potential reduction of partner presence and coverage linked to INGO registration issues. Additionally, the shortage of therapeutic milks (F‑75 and F‑100) is limiting inpatient treatment for severe acute malnutrition. While the Cluster has identified an interim solution, it will only mitigate the gap through February and March.
Site Management
Between 19 and 21 January, a SMC partner conducted rapid assessments across four high‑risk makeshift displacement sites in Deir al Balah comprising 931 households: Al Bahri (207 households), Badir/Abar Al Tahleiah (280 households), Shat At‑Tal (164 households), and Zeina (280 households). The assessment confirmed that households are living in areas exposed to severe and unmitigable environmental hazards. All four sites lie along unstable coastal cliffs between Al Rasheed Road and the shoreline, putting residents at risk of cliff collapse, soil erosion, storm‑driven wave surges, recurrent flooding, extreme winds, and unsafe shelter structures, including documented fatalities in Shat Al‑Tal linked to a recent landslide. Due to the geographical configuration, ongoing erosion, and lack of feasible engineering and site‑level mitigation options, the assessment concluded that relocation is the only viable measure to reduce risk and protect the affected population.
Protection
Between 19 and 21 January, partners reached nearly 10,000 people – children, caregivers, women, persons injured and with disabilities, frontline workers and communities in displacement sites and shelters – with protection related services across Gaza city, North Gaza, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. These included Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE), community‑based protection, case management, physical rehabilitation services, and winterization assistance (distribution of winter clothing, blankets, tents, tarpaulins, and dignity-related items) integrated with protection monitoring at aid distribution points.
Child Protection
Between 19 and 21 January, Child Protection partners reached over 3,500 children and more than 1,500 caregivers with psychosocial support and psychological first aid across Gaza city, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. Partners also identified and provided dedicated case management services to more than 200 children facing heightened protection risks, such as family separation and unsafe shelter conditions. Meanwhile, risk‑mitigation and safety messaging were further intensified, with six partners reaching over 1,000 children and caregivers through 15 awareness raising sessions.
As part of ongoing winterization support, over 1,300 children under the age of 10 were provided with winter clothing items, along with shoes and blankets. However, significant gaps remain, especially for children aged 11 to 17, with the current winter response reaching only about 32 per cent of children due to funding limitations.
In addition, assistive devices were provided to 87 children with disabilities, supporting improved access, mobility, and functionality.
Mine Action
Between 19 and 21 January, partners conducted 121 Explosive Hazard Assessments (EHAs) in support of debris removal activities in Deir al Balah, while Explosive Ordnance Risk Education sessions reached over 11,200 people across Gaza city, Deir al Balah, and Khan Younis.
While 289 EHAs have thus far been conducted since the start of the year, sustaining this scale would be a challenge if INGO presence were to reduce due to deregistration.
Education
Between 19 and 21 January, with support from the WASH Cluster, approximately 500,000 soap bars were distributed to 100,000 school-aged children to help strengthen hygiene practices within learning spaces and at the household level.
During the same period, nine additional Temporary Learning Spaces (TLSs) were established, accommodating more than 4,500 students. In total, 449 TLSs are now operational across the Strip, providing about 271,500 learners with access to in‑person education, as well as MHPSS services, recreational activities, and other essential multisectoral support. Almost 6,400 teachers are currently facilitating learning across all operational TLSs.
Efforts to rehabilitate existing learning infrastructure continue. As of this week, one school in Deir al Balah with 10 classrooms is undergoing renovation to enable more children to access education in durable structures, an especially critical need during the harsh winter season.
Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA)
Between 19 and 21 January, Cash Working Group partners distributed Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) to over 8,700 households across the Gaza Strip. Each household received 1,250 NIS (approximately US$378) through digital payment modalities, in line with the agreed Minimum Expenditure Basket transfer value.
* All figures solely refer to UN and partner assistance dispatched through the UN-coordinated system. They are preliminary and will be reconciled in the course of the ceasefire. Supplies entering through bilateral donations and the commercial sector are not reflected.
