As winter storms grip Gaza, the combination of severe weather, lack of shelter, and Israel’s ongoing blockade of humanitarian aid has created an increasingly desperate situation for hundreds of thousands of displaced people.Cold temperatures, relentless rain, and strong winds have turned makeshift shelters into barely liveable spaces, offering little to no protection from the elements.
Israel’s restrictions on aid deliveries have only compounded the crisis, leaving many without access to the most basic necessities, including food, medicine, and heating.
The curbs were among the key violations cited by Hamas when it announced on Monday that it would postpone the release of more Israeli prisoners, initially scheduled for Saturday, unless Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government complied with the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
International aid groups and officials have raised alarm over how the inconsistent flow of supplies due to Israeli roadblocks is worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Advertisement
“The health system is ruined. Malnutrition is rising. The risk of famine persists,” said Hanan Balkhy, regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean at the World Health Organization.
“We are ready to scale up our response, but we urgently need systematic and sustained access to the population across Gaza, and we need an end to restrictions on the entry of essential supplies.”
A recent update from the UN aid coordination office said nearly one million displaced Palestinians are living in “substandard …
