The ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has led to relative improvements in humanitarian conditions but remains fragile and at constant risk of collapse, senior officials from UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Monday following a joint visit to Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, and Carl Skau, WFP Deputy Executive Director, presented findings from their recent field mission, stressing that while the ceasefire has enabled an increase in aid delivery and limited commercial activity, the overall humanitarian situation remains extremely precarious.
Chaiban said the ceasefire had allowed greater humanitarian access to Gaza, leading to a relative improvement in food availability and a reduced risk of famine. Markets have seen limited returns of vegetables, fruit, poultry and eggs, alongside modest improvements in nutrition indicators.
According to UNICEF, more than 1.6 million people now have access to clean drinking water through its support and that of its partners, while around 700,000 people have received winter clothing and blankets. Pediatric intensive care services have resumed at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, and the second round of catch-up vaccination campaigns for children deprived of immunization during the war has been launched. UNICEF has also established 196 nutrition centers since October.
Chaiban noted that over 250,000 children have returned to learning activities through temporary education spaces, adding that a “Back to Learning” campaign will be launched this week to expand educational access to nearly 700,000 children who have been out of school for more than two years.
Despite these gains, Chaiban warned that the humanitarian situation remains dire. He said more than 100 children have been killed since the ceasefire began in early October, while approximately 100,000 children suffer from acute malnutrition and require long-term care. Nearly 1.3 million people continue to live in tents or severely damaged buildings.
He also cited reports of at least 10 children dying from hypothermia during the winter months, as families resort to burning plastic and wood for warmth. Many displaced families have returned to their neighborhoods only to find their homes completely destroyed.
Among the testimonies Chaiban shared was that of Aya, a young girl attending a temporary learning center, who expressed joy at returning to school and said she dreams of becoming a nurse to help the wounded, hoping one day to see Gaza rebuilt with schools and markets restored.
In turn, Skau said his previous visit to Gaza in July took place at the height of famine risk, when widespread acute malnutrition was evident. He noted that the current ceasefire has enabled WFP to significantly scale up operations, now reaching more than one million people each month with full food rations and providing around 400,000 hot meals daily. School meals are also being delivered to 230,000 children across 250 temporary learning centers.
Skau pointed to a relative revival of market activity with the entry of limited commercial goods, though prices remain high. He said WFP has provided cash assistance to about 60,000 families to support purchasing power and stimulate the local economy.
He recounted meeting a woman who lost her husband, several relatives and her home, leaving her solely responsible for four children with no resources, as well as another woman who gave birth 10 days earlier and is living in a tent by the seashore, sleeping on a rain-soaked mattress amid severe shortages of shelter and heating.
On coordination efforts, Chaiban said the United Nations continues technical engagement with Israeli authorities and has held meetings with Israel’s Foreign Ministry, as well as representatives of the National Committee for Gaza Administration, describing it as an opportunity to improve humanitarian access and move toward early recovery if fully activated. Coordination inside Gaza, he said, is conducted through the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), while the return of local police has helped reduce looting incidents.
Both officials stressed the urgent need to open additional routes and crossings, particularly the permanent reopening of the Rafah crossing for medical cases, and the simultaneous operation of Kerem Shalom, Erez and other corridors, alongside expanded use of internal routes to facilitate aid movement across Gaza.
In the occupied West Bank, Chaiban said he met families in villages surrounded by settlements and children who had previously been detained, noting that local organizations are working to provide psychosocial support and help them return to education. He said around 800,000 children have had their education disrupted by escalating violence, while approximately 75,000 people have been displaced from their homes.
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