Temporary Housing Provided to Displaced Palestinians Considered 'Insufficient for Gaza's Cold Season'

A multitude of temporary structures provided by a number of states to house uprooted civilians in Gaza offer minimal protection from downpours and wind, an evaluation assembled by housing specialists in the devastated territory has shown.

Report Undermines Assertions of Sufficient Protection

The findings challenge statements that civilians in Gaza are being provided with sufficient housing. Fierce storms in recent weeks damaged or destroyed thousands of structures, affecting at least 235,000 people, per data from humanitarian organizations.

"The material [of some tents] tears readily as sewing standards is low," the findings noted. "The fabric is not water-resistant. Further shortcomings involve small windows, weak structure, no flooring, the canopy gathers water due to the shape of the tent, and no mesh for openings."

Specific Criticisms Identified

Shelters from some donor states were criticised. Some were noted for having "permeable light fabric" and a "weak structure," while others were described as "very light" and lacking waterproofing.

In contrast, shelters supplied by several countries were judged to have fulfilled the standards outlined by international agencies.

Concerns Arisen Over Aid Standards

This report – based on extensive responses to a questionnaire and observations "from agencies on the ground" – will raise new issues about the suitability of relief being supplied directly to Gaza by specific nations.

Since the halt in hostilities, only a small portion of the temporary homes that had reached Gaza were supplied by major multilateral aid agencies, as stated by one relief source.

Commercial Shelters Also Found Inadequate

Palestinians in Gaza and aid workers said shelters available on the open market by private contractors were likewise inadequate for Gaza's harsh conditions and were very high-priced.

"Our shelter we live in is dilapidated and water seeps inside," said one displaced mother. "We obtained it via someone; it is makeshift from wood and tarpaulin. We cannot purchase a new tent due to the exorbitant prices, and we have not received any aid at all."

Broader Relief Situation

Almost all population of Gaza has been displaced many times since the war began, and huge sections of the enclave have been left as rubble.

Numerous people in Gaza believed the lull would allow them to start reconstructing their homes. In reality, the division of the territory and the ongoing humanitarian crisis have rendered this unfeasible. Hardly anyone have the means to move, nearly all basic items remain scarce, and fundamental services are practically absent.

Furthermore, humanitarian work face being curtailed even more as several organizations that provide services in Gaza face a looming restriction under proposed laws.

Individual Stories of Struggle

A uprooted mother detailed living with her children in a solitary, vermin-ridden room with no windows or solid floor in the ruins of an building. She stated running from a temporary shelter after experiencing explosions near a contested frontier within Gaza.

"We left when we heard lots of explosions," she said. "I left all our clothes behind... I know residing in a damaged building during the cold months is extremely hazardous, but we have no other choice."

Authorities have stated that 19 people have been killed by buildings giving way after torrential rain.

The single change that transformed with the start of the ceasefire was the silence of the shelling; our everyday existence remain almost the same, with the same deprivation," concluded another displaced man.