UN agency says escaping Gaza costs a family over $3,000 amid intense Israeli attacks

By Ikram Kouachi

Fleeing homes in Gaza City amid Israeli strikes now costs a single family an estimated $3,180, UNRWA said Friday, as fuel shortages, banned shelter supplies, and overcrowded spaces compound the humanitarian crisis.

In a statement on the US social media company X, UNRWA highlighted multiple challenges: fuel scarcity, a near seven-month ban on UNRWA shelter supplies, overcrowded and hard-to-find temporary spaces, and the collapse of household incomes after nearly two years of war.

An accompanying infographic showed the estimated costs for a single family seeking shelter: $1,000 for a taxi, $2,000 for a family tent, and $180 for land space, totaling $3,180.

UNRWA urged the international community to provide aid to alleviate the growing financial and humanitarian pressures on displaced families in Gaza.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has carried out a genocidal assault on Gaza, resulting in the deaths of more than 65,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced, and famine has claimed the lives of at least 440 Palestinians, including 147 children.