Gaza strip: The Government Operations Room for Emergency Interventions in the Gaza Strip has issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations, its agencies, and international and humanitarian organizations to take immediate action to save thousands of displaced families at risk of flooding in low-lying areas of the Gaza Strip. The call for action comes as winter approaches, with a stress on the need for alternative and safe shelter centers before the situation worsens.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA, a statement from the Operations Room on Monday warned of an imminent humanitarian danger in areas most vulnerable to flooding, rainwater accumulation, and sea surges. The warning is underscored by the extensive destruction inflicted on infrastructure due to continued aggression and extermination by the Israeli occupation over the past two years, resulting in severe damage to drainage networks and roads, and a lack of basic protection and heating means for thousands of displaced families.
The areas most at risk include “Al-Jazira” along Salah al-Din Street from the Maghazi junction to the Bureij junction, Sahn al-Barka, and the Wadi al-Salqa basin in the central governorate. Other vulnerable locations are displaced persons gathering along the 26-kilometer coastal Al-Rashid Street and camps east of Deir al-Balah and Al-Nafaq Street in Gaza City.
Samah Hammad, Head of the Government Operations Room, confirmed the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, highlighting that displaced families residing in coastal and low-lying areas face imminent flooding risks. She emphasized the urgent need for relocation to safe shelters and provision of essential assistance.
Hammad stated that international organizations have ready-to-use shelter supplies but are awaiting permission to bring them into the Strip. She noted that occupying authorities continue to obstruct the entry of humanitarian aid, failing to comply with a ceasefire agreement that stipulates the entry of 600 aid trucks daily. Between 1 and 25 October 2025, only 5,078 trucks entered Gaza, averaging 203 trucks per day-far below the minimum humanitarian needs, particularly for shelter materials and tents.
As part of the Relief and Early Recovery Plan, the Ministry of Public Works and Housing has designated 294 temporary shelter sites equipped with water and sanitation services near original residential areas. Hammad urged humanitarian organizations to coordinate with the Operations Room to establish shelter centers in these locations.
Concluding her remarks, Hammad called on the international community to exert pressure for the immediate and unrestricted entry of sufficient humanitarian aid, including relief materials, tents, shelter supplies, and prefabricated housing units, to ensure the protection of hundreds of thousands of displaced persons living in dire conditions.