The Norwegian Refugee Council has confirmed that nearly one million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are facing the harsh winter without adequate shelter, with their suffering increasing in tents that do not provide protection from the cold and rain. The Strip is suffering from a shelter crisis, as only 23% of shelter needs have been met this fall, leaving many families vulnerable to harsh weather conditions.

According to a report by the Shelter Palestine group, an estimated 2,000 truckloads of tents or 200 truckloads of winter insulation are needed to provide basic protection for 1.13 million displaced Palestinians. By late November, only 285,000 displaced people had received shelter materials, while the ongoing Israeli military operation in the northern Gaza Strip since October has displaced an additional 100,000 Palestinians, bringing the total number of people in need of shelter to 945,000.

A winter storm in late November hit many displacement sites, flooding tents and makeshift shelters, forcing many families to relocate. For example, in the Deir al-Balah area in southern Gaza, one displaced Palestinian in the Deir al-Balah area in southern Gaza reported, “We woke up to find water flooding our tents, and our children were sleeping when the water reached them. We are now facing a lake of water, and we have no help.”

The blockade on Gaza has reduced the entry of basic shelter materials, with priority given to flour to combat famine. With Gate 96 being used as the main aid route, many families have been deprived of essential winter supplies.

As a result of the increasing needs and repeated displacement, many families left behind the supplies they received from relief organizations, damaging tents and other aid. Of the aid that reached Gaza between 1 September and 25 November, only 123 trucks, an average of 10 trucks per week, were delivered, most of which contained non-winter items such as mattresses and blankets, which were insufficient to meet the dire situation.

In this context, the head of the shelter cluster in Palestine, Euron Kwangir, urged donor governments to pressure Israel to allow the entry of essential shelter materials and ensure access for humanitarian workers to affected areas.

Call for immediate action

The Shelter in Palestine group called for urgent action to address the shelter crisis, warning that delays in providing essential supplies would put the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians at risk amid harsh winter conditions.

The report mentioned some of the main facts about the conditions of the people of the Gaza Strip in light of the war of extermination waged by Israel with American support since October 7, 2023:

1.9 million internally displaced Palestinians live in the Gaza Strip.

There are 101 displacement sites in the southern Gaza Valley that are threatened by flooding.

Only 23% of winter shelter needs have been met.

Temperatures in Gaza can drop to 6 degrees Celsius, with up to 53 cm of rainfall in winter.

There is a high risk of hypothermia and other serious illnesses, according to the World Health Organization.

Although Article 59 of the Fourth Geneva Convention stipulates that Israel, as an occupying power, must facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in the occupied territories, it continues to prevent aid from entering Gaza under a suffocating blockade and a genocidal war.