UN: 950,000 displaced persons in Gaza face flood risks during winter

The report quoted the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as saying that available supplies allowed for partial shelter assistance to only 18 percent of the families in need.

On August 17 last year, the government media office in the Gaza Strip stated that 2.15 million displaced Palestinians—accounting to 509,393 families—are living in "dire" humanitarian conditions, including more than 800,000 displaced persons residing in tents unfit for "human life".

The government office warned last September of the deteriorating conditions of hundreds of thousands of displaced persons in Gaza as the winter season approaches, noting that more than 60 percent of the displaced persons' tents are worn out and in need of immediate replacement.

Palestinian and UN human rights officials had previously confirmed that winter storms and rainwater floods destroyed and damaged thousands of tents and temporary shelters for the displaced, forcing them to endure cold, wet, and unsafe living conditions.

In a related context, the UN report warned of rising hunger in the Strip following the reduction of daily meals due to "funding restrictions".

On Monday, the World Food Programme announced a reduction of its food assistance in Gaza by about a third due to a lack of funding, affirming its urgent need for $450 million to maintain its vital operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank from October 2026 to March 2027.

According to the UN program, the number of beneficiaries of its food and cash assistance in Gaza decreased from 1.6 million people to 1.1 million people as of October 2026, depriving about half a million Palestinians of its aid.

This coincides with a reduction in food rations and cash assistance, and a decrease in the number of hot meals provided daily from 250,000 to 150,000 meals, according to the program.

This suffering is exacerbated amid Israel's evasion of its obligations stipulated in the ceasefire agreement in effect since October 10, 2025, including opening crossings and bringing in agreed-upon quantities of food, relief, medical, and shelter supplies.

The agreement was reached after two years of a genocidal war launched by Israel on October 8, 2023, with US support, which left more than 74,000 Palestinian dead, over 175,000 injured, and massive destruction affecting 90 percent of civilian infrastructure.