Shelters Donated to Homeless Civilians Deemed 'Unsuitable for the Territory's Cold Season'
A multitude of tents donated by several nations to house homeless Palestinians in Gaza deliver minimal protection from precipitation and wind, an assessment compiled by shelter professionals in the ravaged enclave has indicated.
Findings Contradicts Claims of Proper Protection
The findings contradict statements that civilians in Gaza are being provided with suitable housing. Fierce bad weather in recent weeks damaged or damaged numerous structures, impacting at least 235,000 people, based on figures from international organizations.
"The cloth [of some tents] rips easily as sewing standards is substandard," it reported. "The material is not impermeable. Other issues involve inadequate windows, weak structure, no flooring, the canopy accumulates water due to the construction of the tent, and no mesh for openings."
Detailed Issues Noted
Donations from specific contributing countries were found lacking. Some were described as "non-waterproof light fabric" and a "weak structure," while others were labeled as "extremely thin" and failing to repel water.
In contrast, shelters supplied by several donors were judged to have satisfied the standards set by expert agencies.
Questions Prompted Over Aid Standards
This report – drawing from numerous replies to a questionnaire and reports "from agencies on the ground" – will raise new questions about the standard of assistance being sent outside UN channels to Gaza by individual states.
Following the truce, only a minority of the tents that had entered Gaza were distributed by major international humanitarian bodies, according to one aid source.
Commercial Tents Also Deemed Inadequate
Residents in Gaza and relief workers said tents sold on the open market by private suppliers were likewise unsuitable for Gaza's winter and were extremely costly.
"Our shelter we live in is dilapidated and rain floods inside," said one homeless woman. "It was given to us through the help of someone; it is makeshift from wood and tarpaulin. We cannot purchase a new tent due to the exorbitant prices, and we have not received any help at all."
Broader Crisis Situation
The vast majority population of Gaza has been displaced repeatedly since the war erupted, and huge sections of the territory have been transformed into rubble.
Many in Gaza believed the truce would allow them to start rebuilding their homes. Instead, the division of the area and the persistent humanitarian crisis have rendered this out of reach. Not many have the funds to move, most basic items remain lacking, and fundamental services are virtually unavailable.
Furthermore, humanitarian work face being curtailed even more as several agencies that conduct services in Gaza confront a possible restriction under recently enacted regulations.
Individual Stories of Suffering
A uprooted resident described living with her family in a single, rat-infested room with no windows or solid floor in the remains of an apartment block. She stated fleeing a temporary shelter after experiencing explosions near a newly established frontier within Gaza.
"We left when we heard many explosions," she said. "I was forced to leave all our possessions behind... I know staying in a destroyed building during the cold months is incredibly hazardous, but we have no option."
Authorities have noted that several people have been killed by structures collapsing after heavy rain.
The single change that transformed with the start of the truce was the end of the shelling; our everyday existence stay largely the same, with the same suffering," concluded another uprooted man.
