United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees: Winter storms worsen the humanitarian crisis and displace thousands of families.
Al-Jisr – Exclusive – Gaza
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) stated that severe storms and the resulting floods in Gaza have claimed the lives of several people and affected nearly 55,000 families, leading to the evacuation of at least 370 families from coastal areas.
In its latest report on the situation in the Gaza Strip, the agency noted that the actual impact is likely much higher, particularly in high-risk locations with no management in place, where hundreds of thousands of people live in low-lying, coastal, or rubble-filled areas prone to flooding.
The agency’s statement indicated that estimates suggest 17 buildings have collapsed and more than 42,000 tents or temporary shelters have been partially or completely damaged since December 10, affecting at least 235,000 people.
Meanwhile, the agency’s Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, warned that recent gains in food security and nutritional status remain fragile. He added that although Gaza is no longer classified as experiencing famine, 1.6 million people still face high levels of severe food insecurity.
At the same time, the Israeli army remains deployed in over 50% of the Gaza Strip, outside the so-called “Yellow Line,” which is still largely undefined on the ground. Access to humanitarian facilities, public infrastructure, and agricultural land continues to be heavily restricted or prohibited.
UNRWA reported that airstrikes, shelling, and gunfire continue across Gaza, with most incidents occurring around the “Yellow Line,” resulting in casualties and injuries.
By December 17, 70,668 Palestinians in Gaza had been killed and 171,152 others injured, according to the Ministry of Health. Since the start of the ceasefire, 394 Palestinians have been killed, 1,075 injured, and 634 bodies recovered from under the rubble, also according to the Ministry of Health.
UNRWA teams also expressed concern that the “Yellow Line” was shifted westward in parts of Gaza over the past week, hindering access to the agency’s main facilities.
According to the “NGO Access Overview” report, based on data from 45 international and Palestinian NGOs, access for nearly $50 million worth of life-saving aid to Gaza is being blocked. This figure does not include UNRWA’s food and shelter supplies stored outside the Strip.
It is noteworthy that UNRWA has recorded the deaths of 309 of its staff in Gaza since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023, along with 73 individuals supporting UNRWA activities.
