Gaza’s Displaced Population Confronts Winter’s Onslaught

The coastal areas of Gaza, once recreational, now serve as residences for tens of thousands of individuals compelled to abandon their homes during the ongoing conflict. In recent days, these displaced persons have encountered a new challenge: the winter sea, which has been impacting their fragile, improvised shelters. Mohammed al-Halabi, located in Deir al-Balah, stated, “Nothing is left in the tent: not mattresses, bedding, bread, everything was taken. The sea took it.” He added, “We rescued a two-month-old child who was dragged out to sea.” According to the UN, nearly the entire population of Gaza, estimated at 2.3 million, is currently displaced, with nine out of ten individuals residing in shelters living in tents. As temperatures drop sharply, many have fallen ill. The region has also experienced flooding from rainwater and sewage. Shaima Issa, speaking to the BBC in Khan Younis, described the conditions: “My children’s feet, their heads—everything is freezing.” She continued, “My daughter has a fever because of the cold. We’re essentially living on the streets, surrounded by strips of fabric. Everyone here is sick and coughing.” Her neighbor, Salwa Abu Nimer, tearfully added, “When it rains on us, we’re drenched.” She explained, “The heavy rain floods us, and we don’t have a waterproof cover. The water seeps into the tent, we wear our clothes wet.” Abu Nimer further lamented, “No flour, no food, no drink, no shelter.” She questioned, “What is this life I’m living? I go to the ends of the earth just to feed my children.” While the situation is most severe in northern Gaza, UN officials are issuing warnings about critical shortages of medicines, food, shelter, and fuel throughout the territory, characterizing the circumstances as “catastrophic.” Long queues for charitable aid are observed in central and southern Gaza, where the majority of the population now resides. Over consecutive days, local cameramen have documented hundreds of people gathered outside bakeries where bread supplies are extremely limited. Occasionally, surges occur as those waiting push forward. Hanan al-Shamali, who is in Deir al-Balah but originally from northern Gaza, expressed her plight: “I need a loaf of bread. I have pain, diabetes, and high blood pressure. I can’t push through crowds of people; I’m afraid I’ll suffocate and die.” She continued, “I need bread so that I can feed the orphans I take care of. Every morning, I come here. In the end, do I get bread or not? Sometimes I get it, but most of the time, I don’t.” At the Kerem Shalom crossing, which serves as Israel’s primary entry point into Gaza, journalists were shown lorries transporting goods that had undergone security inspections last week. However, the volume of aid entering the Palestinian territory remains among the lowest recorded in the past year. Israel attributes distribution challenges to aid agencies. Shimon Freedman, spokesman for Cogat, an Israeli military unit overseeing the crossings, stated, “Unfortunately we’re still seeing that the biggest backlog for humanitarian aid getting to where it needs to get to is the distribution capabilities of the international organisations, as the 800 trucks worth of aid around me attest to.” Conversely, humanitarian workers within Gaza report that armed groups have been pilfering incoming supplies delivered via Kerem Shalom, amidst a rise in lawlessness. This situation has prompted Unrwa, the largest UN agency operating in the territory, to temporarily suspend its use of this route for aid deliveries. Antoine Renard, the local head of the UN’s World Food Programme, summarized the overall situation as Palestinians facing “a daily struggle for survival.” Mr. Renard remarked, “The levels of hunger, devastation and destruction we are seeing now in Gaza is worse than ever before. People cannot cope anymore.” He added, “There is barely any food coming in while markets are empty.” Amidst the widespread destruction in Gaza, the conflict shows no signs of abating. The prevailing outlook is one of anticipated increased suffering as colder weather conditions take hold.