Israel’s restrictions leave 500,000 children without shelter

More than half a million children in Gaza are now facing their fourth winter in torn tents or makeshift shelters, many burning garbage to stay warm, as Israel's restrictions continue to block the entry of materials needed to keep them safe from cold and flooding, Save the Children said.

As temperatures drop to low as 5°C and more winter storms approach, children are once again facing months of sleeping in damp bedding, wearing wet clothes and living in makeshift shelters or structurally unsafe buildings that offer little protection from the elements and become more dangerous as winter winds and rains set in. 

A recent assessment from the Palestine Shelter Cluster found about 58% of people in Gaza - or 1.2 million people, including over 560,000 children - are currently living in "critical or catastrophic" shelter conditions [1]. Many families are crowded into flimsy tents or improvised shelters that have deteriorated after years of exposure to harsh weather, repeated dismantling and constant rebuilding. 

While the so-called ceasefire announced over a year ago stipulated the entry of caravans as a more durable alternative to tents, Israeli authorities have repeatedly blocked their entry into Gaza, leaving hundreds of thousands of children exposed to another winter of hardship, said Save the Children. 

Nearly half (48%) of families surveyed by the Shelter Cluster assessment said they are resorting to burning plastic, tyres, garbage, or cardboard to cook with 84% saying they have no effective way to heat their shelters. 

The toxic fumes released by burning these materials can cause serious health problems, including respiratory illnesses, smoke inhalation, and carbon monoxide poisoning as well as fires and burns. In crowded camps and poorly ventilated shelters, children are particularly vulnerable. 

Restrictions imposed by the Israeli government have also limited the entry of other critical items for winter, including tents, tarpaulins, plastic sheeting, insulation materials, blankets, fuel, cooking gas, heating equipment, and construction materials needed to repair damaged shelters. 

Even basic items like clothing are scarce. More than a million people in Gaza need winter clothing, but supplies cover just 1%, and women say warm clothes for their children are among their most urgent needs. 

For children in Gaza, these conditions can be deadly and life threatening. Last year, 11 children were reported to have died from hypothermia, and many more suffered from respiratory infections, worsening malnutrition and chronic illnesses. 

Over 464,000 people live in displacement sites that are at high risk of flooding, particularly Al-Mawasi in western Khan Younis, displacement sites in Deir al-Balah, and vulnerable areas of Gaza City, northern Gaza, and Rafah. 

Meanwhile, 60% of the $283 million required for winter preparedness remains unfunded. 

Ahmad Alhendawi, Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe at Save the Children International, said:  

"Our staff in Gaza tell us that over the weekend, while families slept, water flooded their tents and engulfed entire camps. Children shivered in the bitter cold without winter clothing, and families lost the few belongings they had left. It is heartbreaking, and it was entirely foreseeable. 

"This is not simply the result of bad weather. Tents, shelter kits and fuel are waiting at Gaza’s borders while children sleep in floodwater, because the Israeli authorities are blocking their entry. This is a choice, and children are paying the price. More than a year into the so-called ceasefire, it has failed to protect Palestinian children. 

"In the past three years, children have died from hypothermia in Gaza. These were completely preventable deaths. As the occupying power, Israel has a legal obligation to ensure civilians receive the supplies they need to survive. Instead, it is depriving families of the most basic means to protect their children, and it must be held accountable for any child deaths that result. 

"The international community must exert meaningful pressure on the Israeli authorities to open all crossings and allow tents, shelter materials, fuel and winter clothing to enter without restriction and at the scale needed. Donors must also urgently scale up their support, including for UNRWA, the backbone of the humanitarian response." 

Save the Children has worked in the occupied Palestinian territory since 1953, with a permanent presence since 1973. We work with partners to provide healthcare and nutrition services, quality education, child protection, early childhood development support, cash assistance, and other essential humanitarian aid.