Winter weather, including heavy rains and cold temperatures, has intensified difficult conditions for displaced and injured individuals in the Gaza Strip, according to reports from residents, humanitarian officials, and international bodies. As of early January, aid organizations and foreign governments have raised concerns about the welfare of the nearly 1.9 million people displaced by the ongoing conflict, many of whom are living in temporary shelters.
Residents with injuries from the conflict have described specific challenges related to the cold. Waed Murad, 18, who sustained injuries requiring metal fixations, told Al Jazeera that the cold intensifies her nerve pain. “I am living in a tent with no heating at all,” she said. “Every time I hear the wind, I feel the pain will get worse.”
Similarly, Assad al-Madhna, 9, who has metal rods in his leg following an injury, reported increased pain in colder weather. “I can’t play with other children as in winter, my legs and hands hurt a lot,” he stated in an interview with Al Jazeera.
Nighttime temperatures in the region have recently ranged between 8 and 12 degrees Celsius (46 and 53 degrees Fahrenheit). According to United Nations data, nearly 80% of buildings in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed during the conflict. Amjad Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGO Network, told the AFP news agency that approximately 1.5 million of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents have lost their homes.
Shawa also reported a significant shortfall in shelter supplies, stating that of more than 300,000 tents requested to shelter displaced people, only 60,000 had been received. He attributed the deficit to restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid into the territory.
The situation has drawn responses from the international community. On Friday, the foreign ministers of Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia issued a joint statement. The ministers called for “immediate, full, and unhindered” deliveries of humanitarian aid and warned that flooded camps and exposure to cold temperatures have “significantly heightened risks to civilian lives.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also commented on the situation, expressing concern over Israel’s recent announcement to suspend the operations of several international non-governmental organizations. In a statement, his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said, “This recent action will further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians.”
This is not the first time severe weather has impacted the region this winter. Following heavy rain and cold earlier in the month, Gaza’s civil defense agency attributed 18 deaths to the collapse of war-damaged buildings or exposure to cold. On Dec. 18, the U.N.’s humanitarian office reported that a storm had caused 17 buildings to collapse and had fully or partially damaged 42,000 tents and makeshift shelters.
