Nearly all Gaza residents need shelter support ahead of winter, UN agency says

Gaza, Palestine. Almost all of Gaza’s population need tents or other shelter assistance ahead of winter, the UN migration agency said on Friday. Supplies remain scarce because of Israeli restrictions, while the El Niño weather phenomenon is expected to bring heavier rainfall.

Winter shelter needs largely unmet

Almost 2 million people in the enclave require assistance, but humanitarian organisations have met only about 17% of the need for winter shelter supplies, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General Amy Pope said.

Gaza has been largely devastated by the war Israel launched in response to Hamas’ assault in October 2023.

“Families who have already endured repeated displacement and devastating loss must be able to face the winter in safety and dignity,” Pope said. She added that restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities were making it difficult for agencies to expand their response.

Restrictions on shelter supplies

Israeli authorities have not allowed some 8,600 emergency shelter kits into Gaza because they have been classified as dual-use items, the IOM said. The kits contain wood, a tarpaulin and basic materials.

COGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing aid flows into Gaza, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Israel cites security concerns as the reason for its restrictions on Gaza.

The IOM said it had brought in some tarpaulins and tents, but the quantities were insufficient to meet the scale of need.

Flooding and collapse risks

El Niño could be the strongest ever, according to the UN weather agency. The IOM warned that it could further weaken unsafe buildings and cause flooding because Gaza’s drainage systems are heavily damaged.

More than half of the enclave’s tents and makeshift shelters need replacing because they are in poor condition, the IOM said. It warned that there were few alternatives, as war-damaged buildings pose safety risks.

More than 3,600 structures were identified in August as dangerous and at risk of collapse. Around 1.8 million people are living in displacement sites, most of them in areas at risk of flooding, the agency said.