Three Years of War in Gaza: Öncüler’s Humanitarian Relief Efforts

Three Years of War in Gaza: Öncüler Stands with Those in Need

The third anniversary of the war in Gaza marks more than three years on the calendar. It represents the prolonged struggle of millions of people whose lives have been placed on hold.

Over the 1,095 days between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2026, the people of Gaza have faced death, injury, forced displacement, hunger, water shortages, a shelter crisis, and the collapse of essential services.

Homes, schools, hospitals, roads, water networks, and sources of livelihood have suffered extensive damage. Many families have been displaced repeatedly and forced to survive in tents or damaged buildings.

Three years later, humanitarian needs have not diminished. Instead, they have developed into a prolonged and interconnected crisis.

A family struggling to access food often also needs clean water, medicine, safe shelter, and financial assistance. Children whose education has been interrupted continue to experience the psychological consequences of war, while children who have lost their parents face growing needs for protection and sustained care.

Amid these devastating conditions, Öncüler Humanitarian Aid Association has continued transforming the solidarity of donors in Türkiye into tangible humanitarian assistance across Gaza.

Over three years, the association has implemented projects in 22 humanitarian relief and development sectors, including food security, clean water, shelter, healthcare, child welfare, and orphan sponsorship.

According to the association's institutional field records, these activities generated more than 2.5 million aid delivery and beneficiary-service records during this period.

Behind every figure is a human story.

A hot meal means nourishment for a child who has struggled to eat regularly. A water tanker provides drinking water to hundreds of people waiting in displacement camps. A tent offers a place to sleep for a family that has lost its home. An ambulance represents hope for an injured person who urgently needs to reach a healthcare facility.

Öncüler's three years of humanitarian work in Gaza reflect its commitment to responding to these needs through consistent, comprehensive assistance.

The Humanitarian Situation in Gaza After Three Years of War

Three years of war have fundamentally transformed the lives of much of Gaza's population.

According to UNICEF's mid-2026 assessment, approximately 1.9 million people out of Gaza's population of 2.1 million had been displaced.

Many families have lost their homes, livelihoods, savings, and community support networks.

Healthcare, water, sanitation, education, and protection services have been severely disrupted by the destruction of critical infrastructure and restrictions on access.

Children have experienced particularly devastating consequences.

UNICEF reported that, as of June 30, 2026, at least 21,700 children had reportedly been killed and approximately 45,000 had been injured in Gaza.

More than 11,000 injured children were reported to have sustained injuries that could have lifelong consequences.

These figures highlight the urgent importance of emergency healthcare, prosthetic services, rehabilitation, psychosocial support, and long-term child protection programs.

Gaza's humanitarian crisis, however, cannot be measured solely through casualties.

Electricity and fuel shortages have disrupted hospitals and water treatment facilities, while damage to agricultural land and commercial infrastructure has reduced food production and household income opportunities.

Families unable to return to damaged homes have been forced to live in temporary shelters that provide inadequate protection against extreme summer temperatures and winter rainfall.

The third anniversary of the war is therefore more than an occasion for remembrance.

It is an opportunity to draw attention to ongoing humanitarian needs, strengthen relief efforts, and reaffirm that diminishing media coverage does not diminish humanitarian responsibility.

1,095 Days of Continuous Humanitarian Operations

Öncüler Humanitarian Aid Association maintained its operations in Gaza throughout the 1,095-day period from October 7, 2023, to October 7, 2026.

Its work has extended far beyond purchasing and distributing relief supplies.

Humanitarian operations involve identifying urgent needs, coordinating with local teams, sourcing essential materials, managing storage and transportation, organizing distributions, documenting activities, preparing reports, and keeping donors informed.

Because conditions on the ground in Gaza have changed continuously, humanitarian response plans have had to adapt rapidly.

At certain times, hot meals and bread became the highest priorities. At others, drinking water, tents, blankets, or healthcare assistance became more urgent.

Repeated population displacement also required relief operations to reach newly established tent settlements and areas that had previously been difficult to access.

The association's three-year institutional records indicate more than 2.5 million aid delivery and beneficiary-service records across 22 humanitarian and development sectors.

The term beneficiary-service record is important because the same individual may receive several forms of assistance—such as food, water, and shelter—at different times.

This distinction helps communicate the scale of operations transparently without presenting repeated assistance as unique individual beneficiaries.

Öncüler's response model has combined immediate humanitarian relief with longer-term protection initiatives.

Daily hot meal and water distributions have supported essential survival needs, while water well projects, ambulance assistance, orphan sponsorship, and psychosocial activities for children have aimed to create more lasting benefits.

Food Security: Every Meal Brings Hope

Food security has remained one of Gaza's most urgent humanitarian challenges throughout the war.

Damage to agricultural production, disruptions to commercial activity, restrictions at border crossings, rising prices, and widespread loss of income have made regular access to nutritious food increasingly difficult.

Many families have been forced to survive on a single meal per day, reduce their food portions, or have adults skip meals so that children can eat.

Throughout the three-year period, Öncüler Humanitarian Aid Association continued distributing hot meals, bread, fresh vegetable baskets, food parcels, and flour across different areas of Gaza.

According to institutional field records, more than 1.4 million hot meals were prepared and delivered to people in need.

Hot meal programs provided immediate nutritional assistance to families unable to cook, older people, children, and those living in temporary shelters.

During the same period, more than 300,000 bread portions or packages were distributed.

When bakeries were unable to operate and flour and fuel were scarce, bread distributions helped families meet one of their most basic food needs.

Regular bread assistance was particularly important in displacement camps, where families often had limited ingredients and inadequate cooking facilities.

Öncüler also delivered:

• More than 65,000 fresh vegetable baskets.

• More than 38,000 food parcels.

• More than 17,500 sacks of flour.

Vegetable baskets provided fresh produce to families who had relied heavily on canned and dry foods for extended periods.

Food parcels containing essentials such as rice, legumes, oil, and sugar helped households prepare meals independently when conditions allowed.

Flour assistance also served a broader purpose.

Supplying flour to bakeries, community kitchens, and centralized cooking facilities made it possible to prepare bread and meals for larger groups of people.

For this reason, Öncüler's food security initiatives were implemented as complementary interventions rather than isolated distributions.

Water Is Life: More Than One Million Clean Water Service Records

Severe damage to Gaza's water infrastructure, electricity and fuel shortages, limited water treatment operations, and destroyed pipelines have drastically reduced access to clean water.

Families have been forced to wait for extended periods for water tankers to arrive so they can obtain water for drinking, cooking, and basic hygiene.

When safe water is unavailable, households face the risk of relying on saline or contaminated sources.

Over three years, Öncüler carried out more than 9,000 water tanker distributions.

These deliveries reached neighborhoods without functioning water networks, displacement camps, and remote communities.

As a result, the association recorded more than one million clean drinking water service instances.

While water tankers addressed immediate needs, Öncüler also supported the establishment of more sustainable water sources.

During the reporting period, 25 water wells were constructed to strengthen local access to water in suitable areas and reduce dependence on tanker deliveries.

Access to clean water is about more than relieving thirst.

Safe drinking water is essential for preventing diarrhea, intestinal infections, and other communicable diseases.

For children, older people, pregnant women, individuals with chronic illnesses, and injured patients living in displacement camps, regular access to water is also a critical public health measure.

Shelter and Winter Assistance: A Place of Safety and Warmth

The destruction of homes and widespread damage to residential buildings have created an immense shelter crisis in Gaza.

Families have sought refuge in schools, open spaces, and makeshift tents.

However, many temporary shelters have been unable to provide adequate protection against extreme summer heat, winter rain, strong winds, and cold temperatures.

Over three years, Öncüler Humanitarian Aid Association delivered more than 2,000 tents, providing shelter assistance to approximately 10,000 displaced people.

Although a tent cannot replace a permanent home, it can provide basic privacy and protection from the elements for families who have nowhere safe to stay.

As shelter needs became more urgent during the winter months, the association distributed more than 25,000 blankets and bedding items.

For families sleeping close to the ground and those who lost their clothing and household belongings beneath the rubble, blankets provide more than comfort.

They help protect vulnerable people from the harmful effects of cold weather.

In areas where heating options were extremely limited, more than 1,300 allocations of firewood were also provided.

This assistance helped families stay warm during cold nights and prepare food where conditions permitted.

Öncüler's winter relief programs combined tents, blankets, bedding, and heating assistance to help protect families against seasonal risks.

Gaza's Children Deserve a Childhood

For three years, children in Gaza have faced not only physical danger but also profound psychological distress.

The sounds of bombardment, the loss of loved ones, injuries, hunger, repeated displacement, and prolonged absence from school have undermined children's sense of safety.

Many have been deprived of ordinary opportunities to play, learn, and socialize.

Through psychosocial support and recreational activities, Öncüler reached more than 23,000 children.

Games, drawing sessions, group activities, and children's events cannot erase the effects of war.

However, they can help children express their feelings, spend time safely with their peers, and briefly experience aspects of a normal childhood.

The association also distributed more than 33,000 clothing items to families who had lost access to basic necessities.

Appropriate clothing and footwear are important for protecting children's health and dignity.

Families repeatedly displaced from one location to another often carry very few personal belongings, creating a recurring need for clothing assistance.

For families with infants, Öncüler distributed:

• More than 16,800 containers of infant formula.

• More than 4,600 packages of diapers.

Infant formula and hygiene products have been among the supplies that became increasingly difficult to obtain and significantly more expensive.

These distributions helped reduce health risks for mothers and infants while easing the financial burden on vulnerable households.

More Than 2,600 Orphaned Children Receiving Ongoing Sponsorship

One of the most devastating consequences of the war has been the sharp increase in the number of children who have lost one or both parents.

Orphaned children face risks extending beyond financial hardship.

They may also lack secure care, educational opportunities, healthcare, psychosocial support, and long-term protection.

More than 2,600 orphaned children are included in Öncüler Humanitarian Aid Association's sponsorship programs.

Unlike one-time relief distributions, orphan sponsorship requires consistent and sustainable support.

Meeting a child's essential needs, assisting the family or caregiver responsible for their care, and protecting their access to education are central components of these programs.

Regular sponsorship can help a child develop a greater sense of security amid uncertainty.

The connection between donors and children receiving support extends beyond material assistance.

It reminds children that they have not been forgotten and that people continue to care about their future.

Healthcare and Hygiene: Interventions That Protect Lives

Gaza's healthcare system has faced overwhelming pressure due to damaged hospitals and medical centers, shortages of supplies, energy disruptions, and the extremely high number of people requiring treatment.

Patients with chronic conditions have struggled to access regular care, while people injured during the war have required emergency transportation, surgery, prosthetic devices, and rehabilitation.

Öncüler distributed more than 9,000 healthcare and hygiene kits during the three-year period.

Depending on their contents, these kits provided personal hygiene supplies, products addressing the specific needs of women and children, disinfectants, and basic healthcare materials.

To strengthen emergency medical services, the association also supported the provision of more than 10 fully equipped ambulances.

Ambulances play a vital role in transporting injured people and patients to healthcare facilities.

In an environment characterized by damaged roads and overwhelming emergency needs, increasing ambulance capacity can help shorten response times and improve access to essential treatment.

Healthcare assistance also extends beyond medical supplies and vehicles.

Individual support for medical cases—including wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, surgical procedures, medicines, and rehabilitation—remains essential for protecting human dignity and helping people regain greater independence.

Cash Assistance for More Than 4,000 Families

Thousands of families have lost their jobs, businesses, farmland, and regular sources of income during the war.

Although standardized aid parcels provide essential support, household needs vary.

One family may urgently require medicine, while another may need children's clothing, fuel, transportation, or kitchen supplies.

As part of its three-year operations, Öncüler provided cash assistance to more than 4,000 families.

Where markets remain functional, cash assistance enables households to identify and address their most urgent priorities.

It allows recipients to make decisions based on their own circumstances rather than relying exclusively on predetermined aid packages.

Cash assistance may also contribute to local economic activity.

However, because cash availability, inflation, and market conditions fluctuate continuously in Gaza, these programs require ongoing field assessments.

Öncüler has used cash assistance as a complementary intervention alongside food, water, shelter, and healthcare projects.

A Humanitarian Supply Route from Egypt to Gaza

Cross-border procurement and logistics are essential components of delivering humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

Through its operations and partnerships in Egypt, Öncüler Humanitarian Aid Association coordinated procurement processes for relief convoys, food supplies, canned Qurbani meat, and other essential humanitarian goods intended for Gaza.

The association's team in Egypt also supported Palestinian families who had fled Gaza because of the war and were facing severe economic difficulties.

Their needs for food, shelter, healthcare, and daily assistance demonstrate that the humanitarian consequences of the Gaza crisis extend beyond its borders.

Preparing humanitarian convoys involves numerous stages, including procurement, quality control, packaging, loading, permits, transportation, and delivery coordination.

Because border crossing conditions can change rapidly, operational plans must be reviewed and adjusted continuously.

Öncüler's coordination between Türkiye, Egypt, and Gaza has provided an important logistical framework for transforming donations into assistance that reaches people in need.

Building a Bridge of Trust and Responsibility Between Türkiye and Gaza

The humanitarian efforts carried out by Öncüler in Gaza are made possible through the support of donors, volunteers, institutions, and civil society partners in Türkiye.

Every donation contributes to meeting a specific humanitarian need.

However, trust in humanitarian assistance depends not only on delivering aid but also on documenting the process and communicating outcomes transparently.

Field photographs and videos, project reports, distribution records, and periodic statistics are important components of donor accountability.

Publishing three-year operational figures helps demonstrate the sectors in which Öncüler has worked and how charitable contributions have been transformed into tangible humanitarian assistance.

Humanitarian solidarity between Türkiye and Gaza is not limited to short-term campaigns during periods of heightened public attention.

In prolonged emergencies, meaningful impact depends on sustained support, local capacity, reliable partnerships, and the ability to respond quickly to changing needs.

Three Years Have Passed, but Gaza's Needs Remain

Reflecting on the third anniversary of the war means more than counting the assistance already delivered.

It also means recognizing the needs that remain unmet and accepting responsibility for the period ahead.

Families across Gaza continue to require food, clean water, safe shelter, healthcare, education, and financial assistance.

While emergency interventions remain essential for protecting lives, longer-term initiatives are also needed to restore damaged infrastructure and support community recovery.

Priority areas include water wells and treatment systems, healthcare facilities, schools, livelihood projects, vocational assistance, and sustained sponsorship for orphaned children.

Building on three years of field experience, Öncüler Humanitarian Aid Association aims to continue combining emergency relief with recovery-oriented initiatives.

Alongside daily water and food distributions, the association seeks to support children's return to education, strengthen household livelihoods, and improve access to essential services.

Why Does Gaza Still Urgently Need Humanitarian Assistance?

During prolonged crises, public attention may gradually decline.

However, reduced media coverage does not mean that suffering on the ground has ended.

Three years later, many families in Gaza are still living in tents, waiting for clean water, and relying on humanitarian assistance for their daily meals.

Children continue to face educational disruption and trauma, while injured people require treatment and rehabilitation.

Humanitarian contributions therefore continue to play a direct role in protecting lives.

Regular donations, even when modest, help sustain recurring water, bread, hot meal, and orphan sponsorship programs.

Institutional contributions can support larger initiatives, including ambulances, water wells, shelter settlements, educational centers, and large-scale food distributions.

The continuity of donations is as important as their value.

Water supplies must be replenished every day.

Meals must be prepared daily.

Orphaned children have ongoing needs each month.

Temporary shelters require maintenance throughout changing seasons.

Sustained humanitarian assistance can therefore generate a stronger and more lasting impact than isolated distributions.

Three Years of Solidarity with Gaza — Continuing Together

The 1,095 days between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2026, have been marked by loss, resilience, and the struggle for survival among the people of Gaza.

Throughout this period, Öncüler Humanitarian Aid Association continued its field operations across 22 humanitarian and development sectors, recording more than 2.5 million aid delivery and beneficiary-service instances.

Three Years of Humanitarian Impact

Behind these figures lies the collective commitment of donors, volunteers, humanitarian workers, and local partners.

Yet reaching the third anniversary does not mean the humanitarian mission is complete.

Rebuilding lives in Gaza requires long-term solidarity and sustained support.

For three years, we have stood with Gaza. With your support, we will continue delivering humanitarian assistance, hope, and solidarity.

By supporting Öncüler Humanitarian Aid Association's projects in Gaza, you can help put food on a family's table, provide safe drinking water to a child, protect the future of an orphaned child, and offer secure shelter to a displaced family.

Because on the third anniversary of the war in Gaza, the most meaningful message is not simply to say that we remember.

It is to show, through continued compassion and action, that Gaza has not been forgotten.

Sources and Data Notes

• Öncüler Humanitarian Aid Association: Institutional field and project records covering October 7, 2023 – October 7, 2026.

• UNICEF State of Palestine: Mid-Year 2026 Humanitarian Situation Assessment, covering displacement and access to essential services in Gaza.

• UNICEF State of Palestine Humanitarian Appeal: Reported child casualties, injuries, and humanitarian needs.

• United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): Humanitarian Situation Report, October 2, 2026, addressing conditions in Gaza, shelter needs, and risks associated with the approaching winter.