UN says Gaza faces grim winter without shelters

GENEVA - Virtually all of Gaza’s two million population will go through winter without adequate shelter as the Palestinian territory enters a fourth year under heavy Israeli war restrictions, the United Nations said Oct 9.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said nearly 1.8 million people in the territory “are facing a fourth winter without adequate protection from rain, flooding and cold”.

The UN agency called for international funding for humanitarian aid and for Israel to ease the “constraints” on the entry of critical supplies.

A ceasefire in the Gaza war, sparked by the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, was announced in October 2025 but conditions remain dire in Gaza, according to aid agencies.

More than half of all the tents and makeshift shelters are in poor condition and should be replaced, the IOM said.

“With few alternatives available, many families are living in war-damaged buildings that pose serious risks to life.”

IOM highlighted the deaths of 21 people, including 12 children, when a war-damaged six storey building collapsed in Gaza city in September.

“Shelter materials must enter quickly, predictably and at the scale required,” said Amy Pope, the IOM director general.

The agency said the El Nino weather phenomenon risked making winter rains in 2026 more intense for Gaza which “could further weaken unsafe buildings, while heavily damaged drainage systems leave communities exposed to flooding”.

Pope said the current humanitarian supplies of shelters would only cover 17% of Gaza’s “identified winter needs”.

IOM added that many tents, shelter kits, wood, tools and other material positioned outside the Palestinian territory were blocked from entering.

“Approximately 8,600 IOM emergency shelter kits are pre-positioned outside Gaza and ready for delivery but continue to be turned away at crossing points by the Israeli authorities,” the agency said.

The World Health Organization had already warned in September that Gaza faces a new health crisis with the start of the rainy season that brings an increased risk from mosquitoes and the spread of disease.

Israel has faced increased international criticism over conditions in Gaza and the entry of humanitarian aid, but has said it is preventing the entry of items that could have military use as it accuses the Hamas militant group of plotting new attacks. AFP