الأنباط -
As Gaza enters its fourth winter of war, an estimated 1.98 million people, or 94% of the population, face crisis-level or worse shelter conditions, according to the Shelter Cluster. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warns that families living in worn-out tents and damaged buildings face preventable illness, injury and death.
An assessment ahead of the 2026–27 rainy season found that more than 400,000 people were living at displacement sites at high risk of flooding. In early October, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that nearly 44,000 people were sheltering in more than 2,300 buildings assessed as unsafe.
MSF calls on Israeli authorities to urgently allow weatherproof shelter materials, blankets, fuel and medical supplies into Gaza and ensure they reach people at the scale needed.
"When it rains, the water flows around us and through the place where we live,” a father told MSF teams at Al Mawasi health facility. "My children and I were surrounded by water.”
Aid restrictions and funding cuts deepen shortages
Israeli restrictions on goods it classifies as ‘dual use’ continue to obstruct the entry of essential shelter supplies. The Norwegian Refugee Council reported that Israeli authorities approved 36,960 pieces of timber and 660 emergency shelter kits in August, then refused their entry. Israeli authorities also revoked the registration of 37 international humanitarian organisations, including MSF, at the start of 2026, preventing those organisations from bringing supplies into Gaza.
The October briefing put the funding gap for basic winter supplies and delivery at US$186.6 million. Many families cannot afford blankets or cooking fuel, and some are already cutting meals. In October, the World Food Programme announced funding cuts that would end food and cash assistance for 500,000 people and reduce hot meal distributions from 250,000 to 150,000 a day.
"There is no oil, no flour, and no basic food in the house. My children need food and warm clothes more than anything,” a displaced mother told MSF at Al Mawasi health facility.
Cold and damp conditions take a toll on health
Last winter, MSF facilities treated 15 people for hypothermia, including 10 babies less than one month old. MSF teams report seeing more respiratory illness among children in winter. Selected MSF facilities recorded 29,528 cases of upper respiratory tract infection in January 2026. Some families burn wood, plastic or waste inside tents for warmth and cooking because safer fuel is unavailable or unaffordable. The smoke worsens breathing problems and open fires put people at risk of burns. Flooded roads, mud and high transport costs can delay care, including for people who need regular treatment.
"I need wood because I do not have gas, and we light fire inside the tent just to stay warm and cook. This is dangerous, but what else can we do? We are forced to choose between cold and risk,” said a displaced mother from Khan Younis.
In September, humanitarian monitoring found that households had access to an average of 4.3 litres of drinking water per person per day, below the six-litre minimum used in the assessment. Limited access to water and soap makes it difficult to wash clothes and bedding, allowing conditions such as scabies to spread. Poor drainage, sewage exposure and a shortage of toilets make it harder for families to protect themselves from illness.
Repeated displacement, bereavement and the loss of livelihoods have already taken a toll on families’ mental health. Caregivers tell MSF teams they fear their tents will flood at night or that they will be unable to keep their children warm. As a displaced mother in Al-Zawayda told MSF, "Winter enters everything — the shelter, the clothes, the bodies, and the mind.”
"We can teach stress management, emotional regulation, and coping skills, but if a mother or father returns to a tent where there is no safe shelter, no blankets, no clothes, and no food, the intervention will have limited effect,” said an MSF mental health staff member in Khan Younis.
MSF calls for urgent action
MSF calls on Israeli authorities, as the occupying power, to facilitate the unhindered entry and delivery of essential aid, including weatherproof tents, tarpaulins, timber, blankets, fuel, medical supplies and items for water, sanitation and hygiene.
MSF urges governments with influence over Israel to press for unhindered humanitarian access and provide immediate, flexible funding. Humanitarian organisations must coordinate preparations across shelter, flood protection, food, healthcare, water and sanitation, and help families access safer ways to cook and stay warm.
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