Facing Winter's Wrath: Displaced Palestinians in Gaza

As the biting winds and torrential rains swept over southern Gaza last week, the inhabitants of tent cities along the coast braced themselves, fully aware of the hardships that lay ahead. Among them was Sabah al-Breem, a 62-year-old grandmother who, alongside her daughter and grandchildren, found themselves in a makeshift shelter constructed from tarpaulins and reclaimed wood. With the storm unleashing its fury, she recounted, “Everything collapsed ... We repaired our shelter but in the night it fell down again under the heavy rain. All our belongings were soaked. The day the winds blew was a black day for us.” Originally from Khan Younis, Sabah has been displaced multiple times since the onset of the conflict in October 2023.

This week, around half a million Palestinians residing in al-Mawasi, a densely populated coastal area in southern Gaza, are preparing for a bleak winter. For many, this will mark the third winter they endure after being uprooted by ongoing conflict. The recent storm underscored the dire humanitarian crisis facing over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, who, despite having survived two years of warfare, continue to struggle for basic necessities.

According to aid agencies, the most urgent need remains shelter. The relentless Israeli offensives have left most homes in Gaza either destroyed or uninhabitable. Many others are situated east of the newly established “yellow line,” which demarcates areas controlled by the Israeli military from those governed by Hamas. With limited options available, displaced families find themselves in a harrowing predicament.

In the wake of the storm, children waded barefoot through muddy puddles while women gathered outside to brew tea beneath ominous skies. Some sought refuge in the ruins of collapsed buildings, risking further danger as they huddled under tarps patched together with plastic sheets. The situation in al-Mawasi is particularly grim, and food insecurity ranks just behind shelter as a critical concern.

In a notable shift, Donald Trump’s recently proposed 20-point ceasefire agreement called for “full aid” to be directed into Gaza. While some additional supplies have begun to trickle into the ravaged territory, both residents and humanitarian workers report that the amounts are grossly inadequate. As one senior official from a prominent international NGO stated, “Is it better? Yes … in the sense that people aren’t starving anymore. Is it enough? Absolutely not. We have massive stockpiles of tents and tarpaulins and we can’t get them in. A lot is still waiting to clear all the hurdles the Israelis are still putting in our way… We could be handing out 10,000 tents a day.”

Currently, Israel has not permitted entry through the Rafah crossing from Egypt, although some smaller passageways from Israel have been reopened. Most supplies entering Gaza are transported by private commercial operators and donors, including major Gulf countries. However, officials from significant United Nations agencies express frustration with the complex bureaucratic processes that impede or delay their distribution efforts.

Furthermore, aid officials have highlighted that critical items necessary for shelter, such as tent poles, remain prohibited from entering Gaza, as they are classified by Israel as potentially having military applications. The COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories) agency, which is part of the Israeli Ministry of Defence, plays a significant role in these regulatory measures, leading to severe restrictions on the types of humanitarian aid that can be provided.

As winter approaches, the residents of Gaza find themselves in a precarious situation, grappling with the compounded challenges of displacement and dire weather conditions. The resilience of the Palestinian people shines through the adversity, but urgent action is needed to address their humanitarian needs. With the international community's support, there is hope that more aid can be facilitated and the suffering of those in Gaza alleviated.

The plight of displaced Palestinians is a stark reminder of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region. As the world watches, it is crucial to extend compassion and support, ensuring that those affected by the conflict receive the assistance they desperately need to survive the harsh winter ahead.