“In several places, entire displacement sites were flooded due to inadequate drainage and low-lying terrain..”
The storms also damaged temporary learning spaces and roads used to bring much-needed supplies to Gaza, where humanitarian efforts continue.
Better shelter options needed
During December, Humanitarian workers supported some 80,000 families.providing more than 40,000 tents, more than 135,000 tarps and thousands of other items including mattresses and blankets.
UN partners working in the shelter sector emphasized, however, that “tents cannot serve as the main and only form of shelter in Gaza, as they only provide temporary cover.”
They highlighted the urgent need to accelerate the shift towards more durable solutions, including repairs to partially damaged homes.
lack of land
They also warned that “the lack of land availability is preventing relocation and delaying the expansion of viable housing solutions.”
Additionally, recent storms have undone some of the progress made during the ceasefire that came into effect in October, and an estimated one million people across the devastated enclave still need urgent emergency shelter assistance.
Meanwhile, partners working to improve emergency telecommunications reported that last week they completed the delivery of new equipment to improve radio coverage that had been previously positioned in Jerusalem pending Israeli approval to enter Gaza from August 2024.
OCHA noted that while this development is critical to strengthening the security of humanitarian operations, other equipment, including key energy supply solutions, continues to be blocked from entering the Strip.