Displaced families in Gaza face a fourth harsh winter with inadequate shelter

As winter approaches, displaced Palestinians in Gaza are bracing for a fourth season of rain, wind and cold while living in tents and makeshift shelters that offer little protection. Temperatures are expected to drop to around 7 °C, and strong coastal winds exacerbate the chill.

Mohammed al-Jamal, 60, and his family in a western Gaza City camp are struggling to secure nylon sheets on their worn-out tent ahead of an incoming storm. He says the cost of a replacement tarpaulin – between 120 and 150 shekels – is beyond his means, leaving the family to repeatedly patch the shelter.

“We are trying to prepare as much as we can to protect ourselves from the water and the wind,” al-Jamal said. “When the storm comes, everything gets torn apart, and we have to start all over again.”

Humanitarian assessments indicate that at least 294,250 families need winter shelter assistance, yet only about 52,000 families have received any aid. A Shelter Cluster survey found that more than 65 % of displaced households are in tents or makeshift structures, many of which are in poor condition.

The Norwegian Refugee Council reported that around 500 truckloads of shelter materials are waiting to enter Gaza, but at the current pace it could take over seven months for the supplies to reach those in need.

Khitam Salman, 39, who has been displaced multiple times, describes the cycle of setting up tarpaulins only to have them ripped apart by each storm. She says her husband’s irregular salary is insufficient to purchase the needed materials.

“We need a tarpaulin for this tent, another for the other one, and one for the room where we keep our belongings, but we don’t have the means,” Salman said.

Municipal spokesperson Husni Muhanna notes that more than 85 % of Gaza’s infrastructure was damaged, leaving the rainwater drainage system operating at roughly 20 % of its pre-war capacity. Limited resources and a shortage of heavy machinery hinder emergency cleaning and repairs.

Yosra Mesleh, 45, who is living in a second winter in a tent, highlights the difficulty of staying dry and safe when water infiltrates the shelter, affecting bedding and cooking areas.

“We need tents and tarpaulins, cooking utensils and a regular supply of gas,” she said.

The lack of adequate shelter and basic supplies leaves thousands of families vulnerable to the elements and to health risks associated with damp, overcrowded living conditions.