UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, briefed the Security Council, warning of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. He stated that Security Council Resolution 2803, adopted seven months ago, has contributed to alleviating some of the suffering in the Gaza Strip, noting a decrease in the rejection rate of humanitarian missions from 31% to 11%, and a drop in the percentage of families going to bed hungry from 92% to 36%. He also clarified that the Gaza Strip is no longer classified as being in famine phase (IPC5), but it still faces a severe humanitarian crisis, classified as Phase 4 of the International Food Security Index.
During his briefing to the Security Council, Fletcher reviewed the scale of aid delivered since the ceasefire came into effect, explaining that the United Nations and its partners had collected more than 21,000 truckloads of aid, at a rate of 108 trucks per day. More than one million hot meals were provided daily, 100 classrooms were rehabilitated, and shelter was provided for more than 600,000 people, in addition to expanding water and health care services.
Despite these indicators, the UN official stressed that the gains achieved remain fragile and insufficient to meet the basic needs of the population. He said that Palestinians in Gaza still lack security, shelter, clean water, healthcare, and education, adding that nearly 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began, including more than 250 children, according to UNICEF data.
Fletcher noted that Gaza remains one of the most dangerous environments in the world for humanitarian workers, explaining that nearly 600 aid workers have been killed in the past three years. He also warned of continued restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, including complex approval procedures and restrictions on so-called “dual-use” items, which he said have sometimes included prosthetic limbs and essential medical equipment.
Speaking about the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Fletcher said that the humanitarian and human rights situation is deteriorating rapidly, noting that more than 1,000 incidents of settler violence have been recorded since the beginning of 2026, at a rate of six incidents per day.
He added that displacement, house demolitions, land confiscations and movement restrictions are increasingly affecting the daily lives of Palestinians, calling for a halt to these measures and respect for international law.
The Emergency Relief Coordinator called on the Security Council to ensure the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers, secure safe and regular humanitarian access throughout the Gaza Strip, and provide the necessary funding for the humanitarian response, warning that less than a quarter of the funding required for the 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan has been provided so far.
