Steph, UN spokesperson, told reporters the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains "extremely dire" following last week’s rain storm and months of constrained access. She said initial assessments estimate more than 18,600 households were affected, with thousands of shelters damaged and many families displaced.

The spokesperson provided delivery figures since September: "fewer than 60,000 tents, 346,000 tarpaulins, and 309,000 bedding items," and said partners have distributed 48,000 children’s winter clothing kits. She added that water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) teams reached roughly 400,000 people in the past two days with hygiene items but warned sanitation systems are largely nonfunctional and public-health risks are rising.

Steph said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is calling for restricted items to be allowed into Gaza — including equipment to repair critical infrastructure — and for nongovernmental organizations to be permitted to bring aid. "We continue to carry out assessments and provide assistance to families impacted by the rain storm," she said, and urged the opening of additional crossings and internal routes to speed delivery.

The briefing also noted malnutrition treatment admissions: about 9,200 cases in October, down from about 11,740 in September but still nearly four times higher than in January during the previous ceasefire. The spokesperson stressed that overall supplies remain insufficient given the scale of need and the approaching winter.

The UN called on parties and partners to increase safe, sustained access so humanitarian agencies can scale up winterization and shelter responses. The spokesperson pointed audiences to the 2720 dashboard for operational tracking of items moving into Gaza.