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How the January 2025 Ceasefire Changed Aid Delivery in Gaza

The January 2025 ceasefire enabled a substantial rise in humanitarian deliveries and wider movement for aid teams. UNICEF reported more than 350 trucks in its response during the first week, while UN agencies expanded food, water, nutrition, health and cash support amid destruction and access constraints.

Timeline

  1. 2025-01-18: OCHA said the UN system had prepared to scale up first-phase relief.
  2. 2025-01-19: The ceasefire took effect and aid deliveries accelerated.
  3. 2025-01-27: Movement to northern Gaza resumed, with humanitarian service points along travel corridors.
  4. 2025-03-01: The UN said thousands of trucks had entered during the six-week first phase.

The ceasefire that began on January 19, 2025 changed humanitarian operations in Gaza by reducing immediate fighting and opening a larger window for supplies and services. UN agencies reported a significant increase in aid entering after the agreement took effect. The change did not repair the humanitarian system or erase restrictions, but it allowed organizations to move more trucks, reach additional locations and begin restoring some health and support services. [1][2][3]

UNICEF reported that more than 350 of its aid trucks entered Gaza during the first week of the ceasefire. The cargo included water, hygiene supplies, nutrition treatments, warm clothing and shelter materials, distributed through northern and southern crossings with local partners. UNICEF said it aimed for 50 trucks a day during the first phase. These figures describe UNICEF’s operation and should not be mistaken for a count of every humanitarian or commercial truck entering Gaza. [2][3]

The scale-up extended beyond physical cargo. In the first two weeks, UNICEF reported digital cash transfers reaching 82,135 people, nutritional supplements reaching 224,000 people and primary health services supporting more than 51,000 children. Cash, health consultations, vaccinations and nutrition services can reach different needs than truck totals alone measure. Agency-reported reach figures may also overlap across programs and should not be added as if they represented unique individuals. [3]

Movement inside Gaza changed as well. WHO reported that travel toward northern Gaza was permitted from January 27 and that humanitarian service points and ambulances were positioned along the corridors. UNICEF estimated more than 376,000 people moved from the south toward the north during January, despite widespread destruction. That movement created urgent demand for water, shelter, health care and protection services in areas where infrastructure had been heavily damaged. [3][4]

Health operations still faced severe limits. At the ceasefire’s start, WHO said only half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals were partially operational and 38 percent of primary-care centers were functioning. The agency planned a 60-day response covering trauma care, primary health, rehabilitation, mental health, disease surveillance and medical evacuation. More supplies could enter, but damaged facilities, depleted staff and restricted access constrained how quickly those supplies became effective care. [5]

OCHA emphasized that the first phase required cooperation by mediators, parties, donors, humanitarian organizations and communities. Its humanitarian coordinator said agreed priorities included water, food, health and shelter, while calling for timely implementation under humanitarian principles. By March 1, the UN said thousands of trucks had carried assistance into Gaza and aid had reached nearly every person in the territory, but it also warned that continued, adequately funded and unimpeded flows were necessary. [1][6]

The most accurate conclusion is that the January ceasefire materially expanded access and delivery capacity for several weeks while needs remained far greater than any short-term surge could meet. Truck counts show movement across crossings, not final delivery to every household or restoration of damaged systems. The figures here are attributed to the reporting agencies and period stated; they should not be generalized to later phases of the conflict or treated as a measure of current conditions. [1][2][3][5][6]

Sources

  1. OCHA — Harnessing the ceasefire to bolster aid delivery in Gaza
  2. UNICEF — Scaling up supplies and services for children in Gaza
  3. UNICEF — January 2025 humanitarian situation report
  4. World Health Organization — Gaza emergency situation update 54
  5. World Health Organization — Ceasefire and restoration of the health system
  6. United Nations — Statement as the ceasefire’s first phase ended

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