Gaza families face fourth winter in damaged tents as shelter aid falls short

Families displaced across Gaza are preparing for a fourth winter without adequate shelter, patching torn tents as coastal storms threaten to flood their camps. On a beach in western Gaza City, Mohammed al-Jamal, 60, and his sons are fastening nylon sheets and tarpaulin to the ground, hoping their damaged shelter can withstand the approaching wind and rain.

Al-Jamal cannot afford a replacement tarpaulin, which costs between 120 and 150 shekels ($37-$47) in local markets. Originally from Gaza City’s Shujayea neighbourhood, he has been displaced repeatedly since the war began in October 2023. About 30 members of his extended family share these difficult conditions. Rain floods their living space, while colder weather forces them to rely on extra clothing. Winter temperatures can fall to 7C, with coastal winds and rain making conditions feel colder.

Al-Jamal said storm warnings prompt the family to reinforce their shelter, but successive storms undo their work. He said promises of shelter materials and caravans had brought his family no assistance. Across Gaza, the war has killed more than 74,500 Palestinians and damaged or destroyed more than 80 percent of buildings. Around 1.5 million of the territory’s 2.3 million residents are living in tents or improvised shelters.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says at least 294,250 families need winter shelter assistance. Available supplies provide only partial assistance to 52,000 families, approximately 18 percent of those in need. A Shelter Cluster survey found that more than 65 percent of displaced households occupied tents or makeshift shelters, with over half of those shelters rated in poor or very poor condition.

Israel’s siege has also restricted supplies reaching Gaza. On October 5, the Norwegian Refugee Council said at least 500 truckloads of shelter materials were awaiting entry or procurement. It warned that, at the existing pace, bringing those supplies into Gaza could take more than seven months. The materials include tents, tarpaulins, ropes and other shelter repair items.

Khitam Salman, 39, from Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, has moved repeatedly over the past two years and now lives near the beach. She said one family tent had collapsed four times while they slept inside. Torn fabric lets sand enter and provides little defence against storms. The family needs coverings for two tents and a storage area, but cannot afford them. Her husband works in the health sector, receiving his salary only once every three months, she said.

Flooding risks extend beyond damaged tents. Broken roads, drains and sewage systems increase the danger of rainwater mixing with wastewater and inundating camps. Gaza Municipality spokesperson Husni Muhanna said more than 85 percent of the city’s infrastructure had been damaged, leaving rainwater drainage operating at roughly 20 percent of its former capacity. Emergency cleaning and maintenance have begun, but rubble and shortages of machinery, fuel and materials limit the work.

Yosra Mesleh, 45, is approaching her second winter in a tent after her home in Gaza City’s Nassr neighbourhood was destroyed. Last winter, rain soaked the family’s bedding and left them struggling to find a dry place to sit. Her husband has been unemployed since the war began, and her son struggles to meet his own expenses. Alongside tents and tarpaulins, she needs cooking utensils, a suitable cooking space and regular gas supplies. “We are asking for tarpaulins and tents, for a dignified life,” she said.