Deadly winter in Gaza

“The rain came, and I had no proper shelter. Everything, from mattresses to clothes, including the tent, became soaking wet,” says Mohammed al-Sayed, a father of six young children. Like tens of thousands of parents in Gaza, he struggles to provide warmth and food for his children. But the ceasefire brings a glimmer of hope that more desperately needed aid will reach families that have been displaced.

In Gaza, constant Israeli attacks have forced Palestinians to flee from place to place multiple times. Hunger is raging. And now, people are also grappling with winter’s biting cold and relentless rains.

Yet, the recent ceasefire offers hope:

“Israel must immediately lift all restrictions on aid and humanitarian agencies to avert famine-like conditions and ensure access to shelter, food and medical care for all in need. Hamas and other armed groups must meet their commitments and release the hostages without delay,” said Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), in a recent statement.

Barefoot in the mud

Most homes in Gaza are destroyed or damaged. Homes must be repaired and rebuilt, along with schools, hospitals and other damaged civilian infrastructure.

Mohammed and his family were displaced from the Sheikh Zayed neighbourhood in Beit Lahia, North Gaza. They first fled to the South, Rafah, but as the fighting also intensified there, they travelled to the middle area, Deir al-Balah.

Like tens of thousands of displaced families, Mohammed’s family lives in a makeshift shelter constructed of blankets and tarps that do not offer much protection from the winter rains and bitter winds.

"To keep warm, the children and I have no choice but to gather wood and sticks for a fire. What I need most are clothes and a mattress to keep my children warm. Then we need a new shelter, as ours has now been flooded," he says.

A boy runs through the mud. The suffering in the Gaza Strip is unimaginable. But with the ceasefire, people may now finally dare to hope for desperately needed relief items. Photo: Amjad Al Fayoumi/NRC

NRC in Gaza

As a result of the ceasefire agreement, trucks carrying emergency aid that have been waiting for months will finally be able to enter Gaza, reaching the desperately in-need population.

Throughout the war, NRC’s team has been on the ground, with 58 national and seven international staff currently in Gaza. They have been providing essential assistance for displaced families, including tents, tarpaulins and plastic sheeting to reinforce make shift shelters, mattresses, and other shelter materials, clean drinking water, and sanitation and hygiene items.

Now, NRC's aid workers are ready to step up their efforts.


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