Numerous temporary structures supplied by a number of nations to house displaced residents in Gaza deliver minimal shelter from downpours and storms, an evaluation assembled by housing specialists in the ravaged region has shown.
Findings Challenges Claims of Proper Housing
The assessment challenge assertions that Palestinians in Gaza are being supplied with sufficient protection. Fierce storms in recent weeks blew down or weakened a great many tents, impacting at least 235,000 people, per data from international bodies.
"The cloth [of some tents] tears without much force as construction workmanship is low," the assessment stated. "It is not water-resistant. Other issues include inadequate windows, weak structure, no flooring, the canopy accumulates water due to the construction of the tent, and no mesh for openings."
Detailed Shortcomings Noted
Tents from some donor states were found lacking. A number of were noted for having "non-waterproof thin fabric" and a "weak structure," while others were described as "insubstantial" and failing to repel water.
However, shelters donated by other countries were assessed to have met the specifications outlined by humanitarian authorities.
Concerns Arisen Over Aid Quality
These conclusions – informed by thousands of inputs to a poll and observations "from agencies on the ground" – will raise new issues about the standard of assistance being delivered directly to Gaza by individual states.
Since the halt in hostilities, only a fraction of the temporary homes that had entered Gaza were provided by established international aid bodies, per one aid representative.
Commercial Tents Likewise Deemed Inadequate
Residents in Gaza and aid representatives said tents offered on the commercial market by for-profit suppliers were likewise inadequate for Gaza's cold season and were extremely expensive.
"Our shelter we live in is dilapidated and water floods inside," said one homeless woman. "We obtained it through the help of an acquaintance; it is handmade from wood and tarpaulin. We cannot buy a new tent due to the sky-high prices, and we have not received any aid at all."
Larger Humanitarian Situation
Virtually the entire inhabitants of Gaza has been displaced multiple times since the hostilities began, and extensive areas of the region have been transformed into rubble.
Many in Gaza thought the truce would allow them to start reconstructing their homes. In reality, the division of the territory and the persistent humanitarian crisis have made this out of reach. Few have the resources to move, most basic items remain lacking, and fundamental services are almost unavailable.
Furthermore, aid efforts could be curtailed even more as several NGOs that conduct services in Gaza face a looming restriction under new requirements.
Individual Accounts of Suffering
One displaced woman detailed living with her children in a solitary, unsanitary room with no windows or proper floor in the shell of an complex. She recounted escaping a makeshift shelter after experiencing explosions near a contested dividing line within Gaza.
"We evacuated when we heard many explosions," she said. "I was forced to leave all our belongings behind... I know staying in a ruined building during winter is extremely dangerous, but we have no alternative."
Authorities have reported that several people have been have died by shelters collapsing after recent rain.
The only thing that changed with the start of the ceasefire was the cessation of the shelling; our everyday existence stay almost the same, with the same suffering," said another uprooted man.
