Gaza: The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has warned that Storm Byron has further aggravated the already dire living conditions for thousands of displaced people in the Gaza Strip, many of whom are sheltering in tents or damaged buildings.
According to Anadolu Agency, UNRWA reported on US social media company X that the storm has intensified risks for families who have been forced from their homes, as severe weather hits overcrowded and unsafe shelters.
UNRWA stated, "Storm Byron is worsening the already dire living conditions of thousands of people living in tents or damaged shelters." The agency emphasized that while it continues efforts to support displaced families, Israeli authorities have been blocking the agency from directly bringing humanitarian aid into Gaza for months, thereby limiting the scale of assistance that can reach those in need.
The agency highlighted the tragic consequences of the situation, noting that people have died after damaged buildings collapsed where families were sheltering, and children have succumbed to exposure to the cold. "This must stop," UNRWA urged, calling for immediate and unhindered access for humanitarian aid. "Aid must be allowed in at scale, now."
Since last week, the storm has turned thousands of tents housing survivors of Israel's war into pools of water, soaking bedding, clothing, and food supplies, leaving hundreds of Palestinian families exposed to the cold without warmth or shelter. The Gaza Strip, according to media reports, requires around 300,000 tents and prefabricated housing units to meet the most basic shelter needs of Palestinians after two years of Israeli attacks that destroyed much of the enclave's infrastructure.
Israel's two-year conflict in Gaza resulted in more than 70,000 Palestinian deaths and significant devastation in the enclave. The assault ended under a fragile ceasefire agreement that took effect in October. The Israeli Prime Minister is currently sought by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. This week, the appeals chamber of the ICC rejected Israel's legal challenge aimed at blocking an investigation into its actions during the conflict in the Palestinian territory.