UNRWA Situation Report #223 on the Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem

UNRWA

26 May 2026

All information updated for 20 – 25 May 2026 [1]

Days 955 – 960 since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip

Highlights

The Gaza Strip

The Gaza Strip has seen a renewed military escalation over recent weeks, with increasing civilian casualties and displacement of people. Israeli forces have issued multiple evacuation orders as well as shelter-in-place orders in areas west of the Israeli-militarised “Yellow Line” zone, including in Gaza City, Der al Balah, Maghazi, Bureij, and Nuseirat. Shelter-in-place orders have also affected two UNRWA installations, including a school-turned-shelter in Nuseirat, hosting displaced people.

UNRWA medical surveillance teams continue to report an increase in ectoparasitic infections, such as scabies, as well as rodent bites, chickenpox cases, and acute watery diarrhoea among both children under five years and individuals above five years. When briefing about her recent visit to Gaza, the WHO’s representative in the OPT, Dr. Renee Van de Weerdt stated that dire conditions in Gaza marked by continuing violence, rodent infestations and the spread of infectious disease are being made worse by blockages of essential medical supplies. Furthermore, she insisted that “nobody can replace what UNRWA is doing.”

Nutrition partners observed a 21 per cent increase in malnutrition admissions between January – April 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, despite the ceasefire.

On 20 May, UNRWA began operating a new Temporary Learning Space (TLS) at a displacement site south of Khan Younis, marking the first TLS established in a location where there are no operational UNRWA installations. Within a week, 1,600 children registered in the new TLS, which is made up of multiple tents. This initiative is part of the Agency’s efforts to reach children where the needs are greatest, and it was made possible through strong community engagement and the support of education cluster partners.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

The Israeli Minister of Finance instructed the Israeli Civil Administration to advance the enforcement of demolition orders related to the Palestine Refugee Bedouin community of Khan al Ahmar. The community, located east of Jerusalem in the E1 corridor slated for Israeli settlement expansion, is home to more than 700 Palestine Refugees.

The UN Secretary-General condemned the decision of Israeli authorities to establish Israeli military facilities on the premises of the UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem, which was expropriated in January 2026, stating that he “urges the Government of Israel to rescind its decision and immediately return to the United Nations the UNRWA Sheikh Jarrah compound.”