Unhindered humanitarian aid, including medical support and adequate shelter, is essential to help families in Gaza withstand the winter, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has said, as heavy rains worsen already dire living conditions driven by a two-year Israeli genocide.
Winter storms are flooding streets and soaking makeshift tents across the enclave, creating “new hardships” for displaced people living in overcrowded and unsanitary sites, the agency said through X on Thursday.
“Flooded streets and soaked tents are making already dire living conditions even more dangerous,” the agency said, warning that cold, damp, and unhygienic environments significantly increase the risk of illness and infection.
The agency said the suffering is preventable, stressing that the ability to deliver assistance without obstruction would allow its teams to provide proper shelter and critical medical services.
“That would help families face winter in safety and dignity,” the agency said.
The government media office in Gaza said on Tuesday that Israel had only allowed in around 38 percent of the agreed-upon aid under the ceasefire deal, exacerbating the suffering of civilians.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of tents sheltering displaced Palestinians across the enclave were flooded for the second consecutive day after heavy overnight rainfall linked to a new winter storm.
