UN: 94% of Gaza’s Population Needs Shelter and Basic Supplies
UN: 94% of Gaza’s Population Needs Shelter and Basic Supplies
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip continue to deteriorate, saying that around 94% of the territory’s 2.1 million residents need shelter and essential household supplies.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the organization continues to receive reports of Palestinian civilians, including children, being killed and injured as a result of Israeli airstrikes, shelling, and gunfire, renewing calls for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
He noted that the remains of 50 people, including 19 children, had been buried after they were killed more than two years ago and their bodies were recovered in recent days from beneath the rubble of buildings in the Gaza Strip.
He explained that rubble removal and the recovery of human remains continue to face major difficulties due to restrictions on the entry of heavy machinery, spare parts, lubricants, and other essential supplies, as well as limited access to large areas of Gaza.
Regarding the conditions of displaced people, data from UN shelter partners showed that more than four out of every five families are living in conditions described as “critical or catastrophic,” amid severe shortages of fuel, energy, and essential household supplies.
The data also indicated that around two out of every three families are living in tents or temporary shelters whose conditions are rapidly deteriorating due to weather conditions, while efforts to bring in more durable shelter units face multiple obstacles.
The United Nations warned that the crisis could worsen as the rainy and cold seasons approach, noting that more than 70% of families in Gaza experienced flooding during the previous winter.
UN partners estimate that $562 million is needed for the emergency shelter response in Gaza, including $165 million to address the most urgent needs, while only slightly more than a quarter of the required funding has so far been secured.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has expanded pest and rodent control activities to cover more than 3,000 displacement sites, markets, and hospitals across the Gaza Strip, amid deteriorating health and environmental conditions.
