Gaza winter nears as 162,000 tents become unusable, raising fears of humanitarian crisis

As winter approaches, concerns are growing that hundreds of thousands of displaced people in the Gaza Strip could face a harsh season of cold, rain and flooding, amid deteriorating displacement camps, worn-out tents and shortages of shelter supplies.

International organisations are preparing for winter conditions, but the needs in Gaza remain far greater than what is available on the ground, amid Palestinian and international calls to provide tents and other essential supplies before the weather worsens.

Ismail al-Thawabta, director-general of the Gaza government media office, warned of severe humanitarian consequences threatening the lives of displaced people, describing the coming winter as a “catastrophic winter” if the current shelter crisis continues without urgent and fundamental action.

In a press statement on Wednesday, al-Thawabta said government teams had carried out a comprehensive field survey of the condition of displacement camps, finding that 162,000 of the 270,000 tents housing displaced families across the Gaza Strip were completely unusable.

According to the figures he announced, more than 60 per cent of the existing tents can no longer provide even minimum protection and are unfit to withstand strong winds, rain and cold. This leaves children, women, patients and other displaced people at risk of direct exposure to harsh weather conditions.