Politics
Gaza’s Ministry of Social Development has warned that the shelter crisis facing displaced people is worsening as a large proportion of tents and shelters have deteriorated and severe shortages of shelter supplies continue.
Gaza’s Ministry of Social Development has warned that the shelter crisis facing displaced people is worsening as a large proportion of tents and shelters have deteriorated and severe shortages of shelter supplies continue. The ministry has called for the immediate entry of 200,000 new tents and 300,000 weather-resistant plastic tarpaulins. In a press statement issued on Monday, the ministry said that between 1.2 million and 1.5 million displaced people are currently living in open and densely populated shelter camps that lack basic necessities. It said the estimates were based on data and reports from UN agencies.
The ministry said that between 70% and 80% of existing tents and shelters have been destroyed or become dilapidated due to prolonged use and continued exposure to weather conditions. This has further worsened the needs of displaced families and reduced their ability to protect themselves from rain, wind, and changing weather conditions. The Ministry of Social Development stressed that around 500,000 emergency shelter items are needed to provide an immediate response to the crisis. These include 200,000 tents and 300,000 tarpaulins to ensure minimum protection for families living in tent and shelter camps.
The ministry called on the international community, UN agencies, and humanitarian organizations to accelerate the delivery of shelter supplies and remove restrictions obstructing the entry of aid shipments. It warned that continued delays would further increase the risks facing millions of families. The ministry’s warning is consistent with recent UN estimates concerning the worsening shelter crisis. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), based on assessments by the shelter sector, reported that around 1.98 million people, or 94% of Gaza’s population, are in need of assistance related to shelter and non-food items.
Around 58% of the population is facing needs classified as critical or catastrophic, while 84% of households are experiencing severe housing constraints, including inadequate protection from weather conditions. Recent UN assessments of 178,632 housing units in the Gaza Strip found that 107,941 units, or approximately 60%, have either been destroyed, severely damaged, or rendered uninhabitable. Meanwhile, basic repair work carried out by humanitarian partners from the beginning of the year through August covered no more than 627 housing units.
The shelter crisis becomes even more dangerous when families are forced to remain in damaged buildings because no alternatives are available. The collapse of a damaged building in Gaza City in September once again highlighted these risks. The Norwegian Refugee Council said that hundreds of buildings deemed unsafe remain occupied because safer housing options are unavailable. It also pointed to continued restrictions on the entry of some shelter materials.
These facts place the demand for 200,000 tents and 300,000 tarpaulins within a much broader crisis. The problem is no longer limited to providing temporary shelter for displaced people; it has expanded to include the deterioration of existing shelters, the large number of housing units that have become unusable, and the limited capacity of humanitarian organizations to replace tents and other materials that deteriorate over time.
