Tents Provided to Uprooted Palestinians Considered 'Insufficient for the Territory's Cold Season'

A multitude of temporary structures provided by several states to accommodate homeless Palestinians in Gaza provide only limited defense from rain and storms, a report assembled by shelter experts in the ravaged region has shown.

Report Undermines Claims of Proper Shelter

The findings challenge assertions that residents in Gaza are being supplied with suitable protection. Powerful winter storms in the last month blew down or weakened thousands of structures, affecting at least 235,000 people, based on data from humanitarian bodies.

"The cloth [of some tents] splits easily as sewing quality is low," the assessment stated. "It is not water-resistant. Additional problems include small windows, flimsy structure, no flooring, the top accumulates water due to the shape of the tent, and no mesh for openings."

Specific Shortcomings Identified

Tents from certain contributing countries were found lacking. Some were described as "permeable flimsy fabric" and a "poor structure," while others were described as "extremely thin" and lacking waterproofing.

In contrast, structures provided by other donors were assessed to have met the requirements outlined by international agencies.

Questions Prompted Over Humanitarian Standards

These conclusions – informed by numerous responses to a questionnaire and feedback "from agencies on the ground" – prompt new concerns about the quality of relief being supplied bilaterally to Gaza by individual countries.

Following the halt in hostilities, only a minority of the temporary homes that had been brought into Gaza were supplied by major global aid organizations, according to one aid source.

Commercial Tents Also Deemed Inadequate

Civilians in Gaza and humanitarian representatives said shelters available on the commercial market by for-profit contractors were also inadequate for Gaza's harsh conditions and were prohibitively expensive.

"Our shelter we live in is dilapidated and rain leaks inside," said one displaced resident. "We obtained it from someone; it is handmade from wood and tarpaulin. We cannot afford a new tent due to the high prices, and we have not received any assistance at all."

Broader Humanitarian Background

Virtually the entire residents of Gaza has been uprooted repeatedly since the war started, and large swathes of the enclave have been transformed into rubble.

A great number in Gaza believed the ceasefire would allow them to start rebuilding their homes. On the contrary, the division of the region and the continued basic needs crisis have proven this unfeasible. Hardly anyone have the means to move, nearly all essential items remain lacking, and essential services are practically absent.

Furthermore, relief work face being increasingly limited as several NGOs that conduct services in Gaza confront a possible prohibition under recently enacted regulations.

Personal Accounts of Struggle

One displaced mother spoke of living with her loved ones in a single, unsanitary room with no windows or solid floor in the remains of an apartment block. She recounted escaping a improvised shelter after hearing explosions near a newly established dividing line within Gaza.

"We fled when we heard many explosions," she said. "I left all our belongings behind... I know living in a destroyed building during winter is incredibly hazardous, but we have no other choice."

Authorities have reported that several people have been have died by shelters giving way after heavy rain.

The single change that transformed with the start of the ceasefire was the silence of the bombardment; our everyday existence remain virtually the same, with the same suffering," summarized another homeless Palestinian.