Gaza authorities sound alarm on looming humanitarian crisis for Palestinians ahead of winter

​​​​​​​By Nour Abuaisha

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - The Gaza Media Office warned Saturday about a humanitarian disaster facing 2 million displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip ahead of winter.

Seventy-four ‘percent of the tents for the displaced people are no longer suitable for use, according to government field assessment teams,” it said in a statement.

The teams said, as reported by the office, that “100,000 out of 135,000 tents need immediate replacement due to wear and tear” because they “are made of wood, nylon, and fabric, and have deteriorated due to the sun's heat and the harsh climate conditions in Gaza. After 11 continuous months of displacement, they are now completely unusable under these inhumane conditions.”

The Office warned of a "real humanitarian disaster with the arrival of winter, which threatens to leave 2 million people homeless."

The statement cited Israel's closure of crossings has prevented "the entry of around 250,000 tents and caravans into the Gaza Strip under this dire situation.”

The Office urged the international community, countries, international, UN and Arab organizations to provide immediate relief to 2 million displaced people "who are in urgent need of adequate shelter to protect them from the winter cold and summer heat, by pressuring the occupation to stop the crime of genocide against our Palestinian people in Gaza."

Israel has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza since a Hamas attack last October despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 41,200 victims, mostly women and children, have since been killed and more than 95,200 injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala