DaysofPal- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has sounded the alarm over worsening humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, warning that harsh winter weather combined with severe aid shortages is placing the lives of hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in jeopardy.
In a statement released Friday, UNRWA said heavy rains, flooding, damaged infrastructure and the collapse of temporary shelters are deepening an already critical crisis, as winter storms continue to hit the besieged enclave.
The agency warned that the lack of basic necessities, particularly adequate shelter materials and medicines, could turn the situation into a life-threatening emergency.
UNRWA’s Gaza spokesperson, Adnan Abu Hasna, told reporters that humanitarian conditions in the Strip have reached “extremely dangerous levels.”
He said the crisis is deteriorating rapidly due to acute shortages of aid, especially tents, shelter supplies and essential medications.
Abu Hasna noted that while tens of thousands of tents entered Gaza following the ceasefire, they cover only a small portion of actual needs. He said the territory requires hundreds of thousands of tents, while also facing severe shortages of medicines and continued restrictions on the entry of hundreds of essential food and non-food items.
According to UNRWA, about 1.5 million Palestinians are currently living in worn-out tents, many made of cloth or plastic sheeting that provides little protection from wind, rain and cold.
The widespread destruction of infrastructure has further worsened conditions, with sewage water flooding displacement camps during rainfall, particularly in sandy areas and along the coast.
Abu Hasna added that thousands of tents have been set up just meters from the shoreline, leaving them highly exposed to flooding from high tides and waves.
He stressed that the immediate entry of hundreds of thousands of additional tents is critical and cannot be postponed.
He said the crisis goes beyond shelter, encompassing a severe decline in healthcare services, increasing risks of water contamination, and critical shortages of medical and laboratory equipment. Addressing these challenges, he warned, is nearly impossible without the swift and unrestricted flow of humanitarian assistance.
Abu Hasna disclosed that UNRWA currently has thousands of aid trucks waiting at Gaza’s crossings and in agency warehouses in Egypt and Jordan.
The supplies include food sufficient for three months, along with tents, blankets and clothing capable of assisting around 1.3 million people.
Warning that the continued blockade could “push the situation back to square one,” he said the issue is not limited to food access, but requires a comprehensive humanitarian response that includes shelter, specialized medicines, medical equipment and laboratory and imaging tools to restore Gaza’s devastated health system.
He concluded by warning that hundreds of thousands of patients face worsening health conditions amid the spread of intestinal diseases and malnutrition, as the majority of Gaza’s population continues to suffer from food insecurity.
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