Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria

Displaced people return to Jabalya following the start of the ceasefire, 19 January 2025.
Following the ceasefire, displaced families in Gaza make their way back to what remains of their homes, surrounded by widespread destruction. Photo: UNRWA

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

OCHA reports that large volumes of humanitarian aid continue to enter Gaza through the Erez and Zikim crossings in the north and Kerem Shalom crossing in the south. Today, 653 trucks entered Gaza, according to information obtained by the UN on the ground through interactions with the Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire deal.

Inside Gaza, OCHA says aid cargo and humanitarian personnel are moving into areas that were previously hard to reach. Humanitarian partners on the ground say the operating environment has improved significantly. The surge in supplies entering Gaza each day and the return of law and order has allowed aid organizations to significantly scale up the delivery of life-saving assistance and services.

In central and southern Gaza, partners have resumed monthly food distributions with full rations.

Yesterday, humanitarian organizations on the ground in Gaza transported 118 trucks of food parcels and flour from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) warehouses to more than 60 distribution points in the south.

Across southern Gaza, UNICEF continues dispatching high-energy biscuits and ready-to-use complementary food – enough for thousands of infants.

While food items currently account for the bulk of supplies that have entered the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire took effect, more medicines, shelter materials, and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies are expected over the coming days.

Yesterday, partners in southern Gaza distributed medical disposables and trauma management kits to 14 hospitals, as well as sexual and reproductive health kits to 28 health facilities – enough for 58,000 people.

Meanwhile, fuel deliveries in central and southern Gaza are keeping functional water wells, desalination plants and sewage pumps running.

Humanitarian partners also delivered seven trucks of fuel to northern Gaza. This is the first such shipment since the ceasefire began. The supplies will help power the back-up generators that are sustaining critical humanitarian services provided by UNRWA, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization and other partners. This included 23,000 litres of fuel delivered to 20 health facilities in Gaza city – enough to keep them up and running for about a week.

Also in Gaza city yesterday, two of UNRWA’s primary health service points reopened – the Beach health centre and Daraj medical point.

Across the Strip, OCHA reports that most Palestinians remain at displacement sites – either because their homes are in ruins or contaminated by explosive ordnance, or because movement back to northern Gaza has not yet been allowed.

The UN and its partners are working to reach displaced families with assistance wherever they are and whether they remain in displacement sites or return home.

In the West Bank, OCHA is alarmed by the ongoing Israeli military operation in Jenin. Twelve people have reportedly been killed, with operations reported in nearby areas as well.

The Jenin Government Hospital remains disconnected from water and electricity, and access is extremely difficult due to road damage. 

The facility is relying on dwindling water reserves from emergency tanks installed just weeks ago through an allocation by the OCHA-managed Occupied Palestinian Territory Humanitarian Fund.

Humanitarian partners are set to refill water and fuel reserves at the hospital as soon as they are able to reach the facility.

#Syria

OCHA is concerned by continued reports of artillery shelling and other incidents affecting the north-east of Syria. This includes eastern Aleppo, near the Tishreen Dam, as well as northern Al-Hasakeh governorate.

OCHA says that in addition to insecurity, economic challenges such as price hikes continue to persist across the country, disrupting people’s livelihoods and humanitarian operations. Cash assistance remains suspended in many parts of Syria where banking services are not working.

Meanwhile, due to high fuel and transportation costs, partners report that most of their mobile teams remain in urban areas, leaving rural and remote areas deprived of services such as counseling and psychosocial support.

In Damascus, high transportation costs are resulting in a significant shortage of teachers and education personnel.

OCHA reports that the price of heating fuel has increased by 50 to 80 per cent in certain areas, and mainly in Idleb Governorate where 1.5 million people are living in displacement camps. Those living in tents have limited access to heating, making this winter season particularly difficult.

Today, OCHA completed a cross-border mission from Türkiye to Aleppo city to engage with caretaker authorities on the dire situation in camps, particularly in winter. Last year, more than 12,000 family tents and shelters in camps across Idleb and northern Aleppo were damaged by fires, flooding, wind and other incidents.

Yesterday, OCHA completed a field visit to the western rural areas of Aleppo where partners are implementing cash-for-work, peacebuilding and education activities funded by the Syria Humanitarian Fund. The visit reveals a significant increase in the number of returnees to the area, many of whom were previously displaced to north-west Syria. Families are now residing in damaged and looted houses, often lacking basic infrastructure such as doors and windows.