Gaza: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said on Wednesday that thousands of internally displaced people in the Gaza Strip are struggling to find safe shelter in preparation for the approaching cold weather, amid the ongoing aftermath of Israel's two-year war on the territory.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the agency reported via a post on X that "thousands of internally displaced people in the Gaza Strip are struggling to find safe shelter in preparation for the coming cold weather." The agency highlighted that the displaced have no option but to erect makeshift tents, indicating a pressing need for more shelter materials.
UNRWA further noted that over 79,000 displaced individuals are currently residing in 85 UNRWA-run shelters across the Gaza Strip. These shelters are facing increasingly dire humanitarian conditions as winter approaches, exacerbating the challenges faced by the displaced population.
The spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, St©phane Dujarric, expressed concerns yesterday evening about the risk of flooding in the inadequate shelters of displaced Palestinian families in Gaza. He emphasized the extreme vulnerability of the population due to severe weather conditions and noted that ongoing Israeli restrictions are hindering the entry of vital aid and obstructing the work of relief organizations.
A storm that occurred yesterday, accompanied by heavy rains, resulted in flooding of dozens of tents belonging to displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, situated in the southern Gaza Strip. This event has raised alarms over a potential humanitarian catastrophe.
It is noteworthy that the Gaza Strip requires approximately 300,000 tents and prefabricated housing units to address the most basic shelter needs of its residents, following the destruction of much of the infrastructure during two years of Israel's offensive.