Winter in Gaza exacerbates the plight of the displaced, heralding yet another season of death and suffering

GAZA: As winter approaches, hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals in the Gaza Strip are preparing to face another season of hardship. The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate daily due to the ongoing blockade and relentless violence, leaving the most vulnerable populations in dire straits.

Many displaced families were forced to abandon their homes after they were destroyed in the continuous airstrikes, which have resulted in immense destruction and a staggering number of casualties. They sought refuge in temporary tents, but these makeshift shelters are now worn out, vulnerable and at risk of collapse under the weight of impending rainfall.

Among those enduring hardships in the displacement camps are infants, children, pregnant women, the injured, the sick, and the elderly. These individuals face the grim realities of life in makeshift tents scattered across the Strip, anxiously concerned by another season of cold and fear. Their situation is made worse by the lack of even the most basic
necessities for survival, a reality compounded by the troubling silence of the international community.

Mohammad Al-Jarousha, who fled with his family from northern Gaza to the south, offers a glimpse into the daily struggles they face while living in a small tent. He explained: ‘Since our house was destroyed, we haven’t found a place to call home. We fled to Rafah in southern Gaza, hoping this tent would shelter us. However, it has been worn out from constant use. Still, there are no alternatives.’

Al-Jarousha shared: ‘The tents can’t withstand much more; every night, the winds threaten our fragile shelter, and the blockade stops any aid that might ease our suffering.’ He appealed to world leaders to intervene and end their hardship, or at the very least to ensure the entry of essential humanitarian aid.

In a similar situation, Ameen Al-Rai, head of another displaced family facing the same hardships, shared: ‘Last winter was brutal; heavy rains completely flooded our tents, and we endured some of the hard
est days of our lives. The cold was severe, leaving us shivering. We had no electricity, no heat and no hope.’ Samar Mahmoud, a volunteer doctor working in the refugee camps, underscored the severity of the health crisis within the tents: ‘Rainwater has flooded the tents, making them uninhabitable, and most residents have lost their belongings. People are enduring extremely harsh conditions that put their lives and health at risk. Infants and the elderly are particularly vulnerable in these challenging circumstances.’

Mahmoud cautions that the absence of healthcare and critical shortages of medicine could result in fatalities among children and the elderly, particularly with the dire nutritional conditions. She describes the situation as nothing less than a humanitarian catastrophe in urgent need of intervention.

The Gaza Strip has been subjected to a stringent blockade by the Israeli occupation since 2007, resulting in crumbling infrastructure and escalating rates of unemployment and poverty. Throughout th
e years, multiple military operations and onslaughts have been carried out against the strip, with the most recent taking place in October 2023, which involved heavy airstrikes leading to widespread devastation. Thousands of families have been displaced, and entire neighborhoods have been left in ruins, rendering them uninhabitable. In a United Nations report, Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his shock at the horrific levels of killing, injuries and destruction in northern Gaza, describing the situation of Palestinian civilians trapped there as “unbearable.’

He added that Israel’s ongoing aggression is worsening the plight of trapped civilians, leaving them homeless and subjected to constant bombardment, as the international community watches without taking any measures to halt the tragedy.

As winter approaches, displaced individuals confront a challenging reality in their tents, which provide minimal protection.

The people of Gaza are in search of warmth and shelter for protection, as well as
an international community to champion their rights. Yet, to this day, they have received only the world’s silence. This indifference to their suffering only intensifies their despair, transforming winter into yet another season of death and hardship.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA