IOM: Nearly Two Million Palestinians in Gaza Need Emergency Shelter

By Staff, Agencies

Nearly two million Palestinians in Gaza still require emergency shelter assistance, while humanitarian organizations have secured enough supplies to meet only around 17% of winter-related needs, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned Friday.

IOM Director General Amy Pope said the shortage comes a year after a ceasefire was announced, with inadequate funding and restrictions on the entry of essential supplies hampering humanitarian efforts.

Years of displacement and widespread destruction have left Palestinians facing another winter with inadequate protection from cold, heavy rain and flooding.

Many families remain in makeshift shelters that provide little protection against worsening weather conditions.

“Families who have already endured repeated displacement and devastating loss must be able to face the winter in safety and dignity,” Pope said, calling for shelter materials to enter Gaza rapidly, consistently and in sufficient quantities.

More than half of Gaza’s tents and makeshift shelters are reportedly in poor or very poor condition and require replacement.

Since tents are generally designed for six months to one year of emergency use, many have deteriorated after prolonged displacement.

With few alternatives, Palestinians have also sought shelter in war-damaged buildings, many of which pose serious safety risks.

An August assessment of approximately 21,000 buildings identified 2,638 structures requiring demolition or removal and another 980 that should be evacuated because of safety concerns.

Humanitarian agencies estimate that around 1.77 million people are living across 1,783 displacement sites in Gaza.

Some 56% of these sites are located in areas facing medium or high flood risks, raising concerns that heavy rainfall could destroy fragile shelters and force another wave of displacement.

The Palestine Shelter Cluster estimates that nearly 300,000 families, or approximately 1.65 million people, require winter-specific shelter assistance.

Existing stocks and supplies awaiting delivery can support only around 52,000 families, leaving the vast majority without adequate protection as the rainy season begins.