Shelters Provided to Homeless Palestinians Deemed 'Unsuitable for Gaza's Cold Season'

Numerous tents supplied by a number of states to house displaced residents in Gaza provide insufficient shelter from precipitation and gales, an evaluation prepared by shelter professionals in the war-torn territory has shown.

Report Undermines Statements of Proper Housing

This report contradict statements that civilians in Gaza are being furnished with sufficient shelter. Fierce winter storms in the last month toppled or damaged thousands of shelters, affecting at least 235,000 people, based on estimates from relief bodies.

"The cloth [of some tents] rips easily as sewing quality is substandard," the findings noted. "The material is not water-resistant. Other issues include tiny windows, flimsy structure, no flooring, the top accumulates water due to the design of the tent, and no mesh for openings."

Country-by-Country Criticisms Highlighted

Shelters from certain donor states were deemed inadequate. A number of were described as "permeable thin fabric" and a "weak structure," while others were described as "very light" and not waterproof.

However, tents provided by other nations were judged to have fulfilled the standards outlined by expert authorities.

Doubts Raised Over Humanitarian Quality

The findings – informed by extensive inputs to a questionnaire and observations "from agencies on the ground" – will raise new concerns about the suitability of assistance being supplied directly to Gaza by specific nations.

Following the halt in hostilities, only a small portion of the temporary homes that had entered Gaza were distributed by established international relief agencies, according to one aid representative.

Market Tents Also Deemed Unsuitable

Palestinians in Gaza and humanitarian representatives said tents offered on the local market by commercial suppliers were also inadequate for Gaza's harsh conditions and were very costly.

"The tent we live in is worn out and water leaks inside," said one uprooted woman. "We received it via an acquaintance; it is makeshift from wood and tarpaulin. We cannot purchase a new tent due to the sky-high prices, and we have not received any assistance at all."

Wider Relief Context

Virtually the entire population of Gaza has been uprooted repeatedly since the conflict started, and large swathes of the region have been left as rubble.

Many in Gaza thought the ceasefire would allow them to start reconstructing their homes. On the contrary, the separation of the area and the persistent relief crisis have made this impossible. Hardly anyone have the resources to move, nearly all basic items remain in short supply, and fundamental services are virtually nonexistent.

Additionally, humanitarian operations could be curtailed even more as many agencies that deliver services in Gaza confront a potential prohibition under new regulations.

Individual Accounts of Hardship

A displaced woman detailed living with her family in a solitary, rat-infested room with no windows or finished floor in the ruins of an complex. She recounted escaping a makeshift shelter after hearing explosions near a newly established frontier within Gaza.

"We fled when we heard lots of explosions," she said. "I was forced to leave all our clothes behind... I know living in a damaged building during winter is extremely dangerous, but we have no alternative."

Officials have reported that nineteen people have been killed by shelters giving way after torrential rain.

The only thing that altered with the start of the ceasefire was the end of the shelling; our daily lives stay virtually the same, with the same deprivation," said another homeless resident.