DaysofPal – The United Nations has warned that displaced Palestinian families living in overcrowded camps in the Gaza Strip continue to face high risks of fires and worsening health threats, highlighting the urgent need for safer and more suitable housing solutions.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Saturday that many families are forced to cook, sleep, and store their belongings in confined spaces using open flames. Since October 2025, at least 12 fire incidents have been recorded inside these shelters.
OCHA added that during just the first ten days of February, humanitarian workers provided temporary housing for 85 families in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis after their shelters were damaged in a fire in Gaza City.
Urgent Need for Mobile Homes
Amjad Al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGOs Network, stated that thousands of families still live in damaged tents or outdoors, with no effective shelter solutions and restrictions preventing the entry of mobile homes agreed upon in humanitarian arrangements.
Al-Shawa explained that Israeli occupation forces control approximately 60 percent of the Gaza Strip, and expanding the so-called “Yellow Line” has reduced available areas for residents, particularly in eastern and northern Gaza. This line marks zones where Israeli forces operate or impose buffer restrictions, limiting access and reducing space for housing and agriculture.
“Continuing these measures complicates relief efforts and restricts the ability of local and international organizations to reach the most vulnerable,” Al-Shawa said, calling for the full and regular opening of crossings to allow the entry of shelter materials, reconstruction supplies, and humanitarian aid.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has been dire since the Israeli genocidal campaign that began on 7 October 2023, which caused widespread destruction of infrastructure and homes. A ceasefire agreement entered into effect in October 2025, yet local organizations report that restrictions on movement and border crossings continue to slow aid delivery and reconstruction efforts.
The UN and local agencies estimate that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians remain in need of temporary or permanent shelter solutions. International calls continue to push for the facilitation of humanitarian aid and the entry of reconstruction materials through Gaza’s crossings.
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