Gaza Media Office Warns of Catastrophic Housing Crisis as Winter Approaches

Gaza, MINA – The Government Media Office (GMO) in the Gaza Strip has launched an urgent appeal to address the catastrophic living and housing conditions of displaced Gazan families, holding the international community responsible for the severe humanitarian impacts of Israel’s ongoing genocidal war on the population, the Palestine Information Center reports.

In a statement on Monday, GMO said that the number of displaced families in Gaza has reached 509,393, comprising more than 2.15 million people, living under extremely harsh housing and humanitarian conditions.

According to GMO, over 1 million displaced people are living in official shelter centers, while more than 1.1 million others are sheltering in other places. Among them, nearly 196,000 families, comprising roughly 867,000 people, are living in dilapidated, makeshift tents lacking basic needs.

GMO emphasized that most tents in the enclave are no longer fit for human habitation and require immediate replacement, adding that tents cannot serve as a viable alternative to proper temporary housing amid deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

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GMO condemned the “Israeli veto” blocking the entry of essential shelter needs, most notably mobile homes, construction materials, and rental programs, while also denouncing international silence over Israel’s obstruction of urgent humanitarian interventions and rubble removal efforts.

GMO warned that worn-out tents would leave tens of thousands of the most vulnerable people unprotected during the upcoming winter, including 59,795 orphans, 46,014 elderly people, 23,584 widows, and 15,687 people with disabilities.

GMO urged the international community to take action to break the blockade on Gaza and pressure the Israeli government to allow in temporary shelter units and insulation materials immediately and unconditionally.

It also called on UN agencies and donors to prioritize funding for shelter programs, rubble removal, and sewage network rehabilitation.[]

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)