Palestinians reel under winter rains as Israel blocks Gaza shelter supplies

"Cold temperatures and heavy rainfall have worsened already dire conditions for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian families across the Gaza Strip, as Israel continues to block deliveries of tents and other critical shelter supplies to the besieged territory. Humanitarian groups have been warning for weeks that Palestinians living in tent camps and other makeshift shelters do not have what they need to withstand blistering winter conditions in the coastal enclave."

"The woman, who did not provide her name, said she was struggling to provide for her children after several members of her family, including her husband, were killed in Israel's genocidal war, which began in October 2023. I am asking for help to get a proper tent, a mattress and a blanket. I want my children to have suitable clothes, she said."

"The UN and other humanitarian groups have urged Israel to lift all restrictions on aid to the Strip, where more than 69,000 people have been killed in more than two years of Israel's war. But the Israeli government has maintained its severe restrictions on the flow of humanitarian aid despite a ceasefire deal with the Palestinian group Hamas that came into effect on October 10."

Cold temperatures and heavy rainfall have compounded already dire conditions for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian families across the Gaza Strip as deliveries of tents and critical shelter supplies remain blocked. Palestinians living in tent camps and makeshift shelters lack the resources to withstand harsh winter weather. Many people have been forcibly displaced multiple times during a two-year bombardment that damaged or destroyed more than 198,000 structures. A displaced mother described a flooded tent, the deaths of family members, and a plea for a proper tent, mattress, blanket and clothing. UN and humanitarian groups call for lifting aid restrictions, but the Israeli government maintains severe limits despite a ceasefire that began on October 10. About 260,000 families, nearly 1.5 million people, remain highly vulnerable.

Read at www.aljazeera.com