Cold Wave and Rain Deepen the Suffering of Gaza Residents

The recent cold wave and continuous rainfall have made daily life even more unbearable for the people of Gaza. Most of Gaza’s refugee camps have been flooded, and the homeless are enduring severe humanitarian crises.

Philippe Lazzarini, Director-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, stated on social media that the weather in Gaza is now cold and damp. He said that the homeless urgently need more shelter materials to protect themselves from rain and cold.

The United Nations agency UNRWA, which works with Palestinian refugees, reported that around 13,000 families whose homes were destroyed in the indiscriminate bombings over the past two years in Gaza are now living in extremely fragile and inadequate shelters amid intense cold and flooding.

According to United Nations data, more than 80 percent of buildings and residential units in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed since the war began. However, despite a ceasefire being in effect, Israel is still blocking the entry of emergency shelters—including tents and mobile homes—into Gaza, further intensifying the suffering of crisis-stricken people.