Palestinian Social Development Minister Samah Hamad said 2.1 million people in Gaza need winter assistance, while more than 300,000 families lack sufficient cover for cold and rain.
At a Nov. 9 news conference in Ramallah, Hamad said Israeli restrictions had left about 30% of designated relief and shelter supplies at border crossings. She urged that shelter materials and repair equipment be allowed into Gaza, estimating the territory needs roughly 200,000 tents and as many tarpaulins.
Hamad said more than 1.76 million people were staying in crowded displacement sites. Tents or temporary shelters house more than 65% of families, she said.
An October assessment by the Site Management Cluster identified 950,000 displaced people at locations with moderate-to-elevated flood exposure, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported in its Oct. 15 situation report. EconoTimes previously covered flood exposure at Gaza displacement sites.
OCHA also cited damaged infrastructure, material shortages and funding gaps as obstacles to shelter efforts. An earlier Palestinian Social Development Ministry warning said hypothermia had caused deaths in previous winters.
