Gaza Municipality has begun emergency cleaning and maintenance despite limited resources. In its October 5 assessment, the Norwegian Refugee Council said available and expected supplies could provide partial help to about 52,000 families across Gaza.
Gaza Municipality has begun emergency cleaning and maintenance, but shortages of equipment, fuel and materials constrain its work. Across Gaza, at least 294,250 families need winter shelter assistance, an undated estimate from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says. Available stocks and expected supplies are enough to provide only partial help to around 52,000 families—about 18% of those in need—the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said in its October 5 warning.
NRC’s figure, drawn from the Palestine Shelter Cluster, the NRC-led shelter aid group, measures what supplies can support rather than completed distributions. It covers partial shelter and household-item assistance, with some materials still awaiting procurement or entry into Gaza.
Displaced families are preparing for a fourth winter since the war began in October 2023. Al Jazeera’s October 28 report describes families repeatedly repairing tents they cannot afford to replace.
Mohammed al-Jamal, 60, lives with his family in a worn tent at a beach displacement camp in western Gaza City. Originally from the city’s Shujayea neighbourhood, he has been displaced several times since October 2023. A replacement tarpaulin costs 120–150 shekels ($37–$47), beyond the family’s means, so he and his sons try to secure the damaged covering against wind and rain.
Khitam Salman, 39, from Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, also lives near the beach after repeated displacement. She said one family tent had collapsed four times while they slept inside. Last winter, a collapse left their belongings soaked. The family cannot afford tarpaulins for its tents and storage space, and Salman fears the flooding will happen again this winter.
A Shelter Cluster survey found more than 65% of displaced households living in tents or makeshift shelters. More than half of those shelters were in poor or very poor condition.
Israel’s UN ambassador rejects the commission’s conclusion that Israeli authorities and forces continued genocidal acts against Palestinians after the October 2025 ceasefire.
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Husni Muhanna, Gaza Municipality’s spokesperson, said more than 85% of the city’s infrastructure had been damaged and its rainwater drainage system was operating at about 20% of its previous capacity. His estimate concerns Gaza City, not the whole Gaza Strip.
Muhanna said rubble, damaged drainage networks and shortages of heavy machinery, fuel and maintenance materials were hampering winter preparations. Those constraints limit the municipality’s emergency work. Damaged drainage and sewage systems increase the risk that future rain will mix with wastewater and flood camps.
On October 5, NRC said at least 500 truckloads of shelter materials were awaiting entry or procurement, citing the Palestine Shelter Cluster. Israel’s authorities allowed only 15 trucks a week from Jordan carrying items designated as “dual-use”—items classified as having both civilian and military uses—across all humanitarian sectors. Tents and tarpaulins were among the affected supplies.
Those trucks could unload at Kerem Shalom only one day a week. At that pace, even under the best possible conditions, it estimated that bringing in the shelter backlog would take more than seven months. It also said Israeli authorities were blocking timber, cement and metal sheeting needed to repair shelters and build more durable ones.
NRC’s warning also put donor funding provided or pledged at only 34% of the minimum winter shelter response.
| Measure | Amount |
|---|---|
| Minimum response required | $283 million |
| Provided or pledged | $96.2 million |
| Reported shortfall | $186.6 million |
NRC called for all crossings to open for aid and for donors to fund the shelter response urgently. Its requested materials include tents, tarpaulins, ropes and other supplies families need to repair their shelters before further winter weather.
The commission estimates Israeli control expanded from 53% to at least 60% of Gaza during the truce. Israel rejects its allegations, which could be used by prosecutors.
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Families and educators describe limited teaching for children with hearing and visual impairments, and call for safe classrooms and essential supplies.
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