With the onset of seasonal rains in Palestine, thousands of families are living outdoors without shelter, while Israel continues to block the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
Al Jazeera reported today that many Palestinian displaced people are struggling with floods and cold inside temporary tents.
Across Gaza—especially in refugee camps and heavily affected areas—people have dug trenches around their tents to prevent water from entering. In some places, residents have taken shelter inside destroyed buildings that are at risk of collapsing.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has stated that despite having enough resources to assist 1.3 million Palestinians, it is unable to deliver aid to Gaza due to Israeli restrictions.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, said in a statement that the situation in Gaza is “extremely critical.” “The situation in Gaza is very critical, and displaced people are suffering without the minimum means to cope with the severe cold,” he added.
Humanitarian groups have called on Israel to lift restrictions on aid deliveries to Gaza.
According to UN statistics, more than 198,000 buildings in Gaza have been destroyed, and thousands of people have been forcibly displaced due to Israel’s continuous bombardment.
Now, on the brink of winter, millions of Palestinians in the besieged territory are living under harsh conditions, without shelter and with severe shortages of essential supplies.