After enduring sniper attacks, fires, bombings, and all forms of violence, the displaced residents of Gaza now face the deadly threat of freezing temperatures sweeping through their makeshift camps as winter sets in.
This crisis is compounded by a severe lack of supplies, blankets, and winter clothing. According to medical sources, five individuals, including four children, have died due to extreme cold within the camps.
These families were forced into these inadequate shelters after their homes were destroyed and they were displaced during the ongoing genocide that began on October 7th, 2023.
A second winter of hardship
For the second consecutive year, displaced families are enduring the winter in tents made of fabric and plastic, which have deteriorated to the point of being unusable.
Without proper heating, residents suffer from health issues such as joint pain, bone aches, and nosebleeds.
Ibrahim Al-Astal, a resident of one such camp, shared his struggles, saying that the harsh winds threaten to tear down their tents, while the biting cold ravages their bodies.
‘We can’t sleep because of the wind and cold. We have no blankets or winter clothes. The bombing destroyed everything we owned, leaving us in these tattered tents that neither shield us from the summer heat nor the winter cold,’ he said.
Freezing conditions in Al-Mawasi
In Al-Mawasi, Khan Yunis, hundreds of thousands of people are displaced, living in extremely harsh conditions. Their struggles include a lack of basic necessities such as food, warmth, and shelter.
In recent days, Gaza has faced a severe cold snap, with record-low temperatures prompting camp residents to refer to their tents as ‘death refrigerators’.
According to the Meteorological Department, heavy rain was expected for two days, starting yesterday, in Gaza, posing a real danger to these fragile camps.
The occasional strong winds frequently uproot the tents, leaving residents exposed to the winter weather with nothing to protect them. Children’s cries and the sighs of their parents resonate in the cold air as despair mounts.
Flooded camps
Early on Saturday morning, dozens of tents were flooded due to torrential rains accompanying a new weather front. Residents reported that strong winds damaged their tents, with some blown away entirely.
Mothers and fathers, unable to provide warmth for their children, resort to burning paper and plastic for heat, despite knowing the health risks and the danger this poses to their fragile plastic shelters.
Additionally, flooding destroys what little belongings displaced families have, exacerbating their suffering. Since the genocide began on October 7th, 2023, thousands of families have sought refuge in the sandy terrain of Al-Mawasi, an area stretching along the Mediterranean coast from central Deir Al-Balah to northern Rafah.
A dire humanitarian crisis
According to humanitarian organisation Oxfam, hundreds of thousands of people have fled to this region over the months of violence.
With insufficient access to water, food, and basic necessities, the displaced face extremely challenging living conditions.
The Gaza Government Media Office (GMO) estimates that two million of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents are now displaced, and forced to live in inadequate camps.
The GMO stated that 81% of these displaced individuals are experiencing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with many at risk of death due to deteriorated tents and the extreme cold.
Over 110,000 of the 135,000 tents in the camps are now unusable, leaving the majority of the displaced without adequate shelter.
A global call for action
The GMO has placed full responsibility for this humanitarian disaster on the Israeli occupation, citing ongoing war crimes, including the destruction of housing and forced displacement. It also blamed the United States and European countries, such as Britain, Germany and France, for supporting the genocide.
The Office called on the international community to take immediate action to pressure Israel to halt its aggression, end the genocide, and provide support for affected families, including shelter, food, and medical aid.
Arab and Islamic nations, along with international humanitarian organisations, were urged to mobilise quickly to save the civilians in Gaza.
The statement emphasised the need to uphold the dignity and humanity of the displaced while protecting their lives from the harsh winter conditions.
The GMO concluded by stressing that the global silence on this tragedy is tantamount to complicity in the injustice and prolongs an unacceptable humanitarian disaster.
It called for a serious and immediate response from all parties worldwide to address their legal and moral responsibilities toward the Palestinian people.
Nurse Riham treats chronically ill in Mawasi
Nurse Riham Awad roams daily among the tents of displaced persons in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza, to provide healthcare for war victims and people with chronic illnesses who cannot reach hospitals due to the collapse of the healthcare system.
Riham’s story in volunteer work for the displaced began with her mother, who suffers from diabetes and is afflicted with diabetic foot syndrome.
Her mother faced wounds during the repeated displacements from one area to another due to the continuous extermination war on Gaza for the second consecutive year.
Palestinian nurse Awad states that diabetic foot wounds are serious as they can become infected due to poor blood circulation and decreased skin immunity. This infection can spread to surrounding tissues and reach the bones.
She notes that high blood sugar levels weaken the healing process and reduce the effectiveness of white blood cells in fighting infections, potentially leading to chronic ulcers that turn into gangrene, which is difficult to treat and may require amputation if not properly cared for.
She adds: ‘I have been and still am providing nursing care for my mother, including treatment and dressing changes, and her question about the conditions of other patients like children, women, and the elderly sparked my curiosity about how I could help this vulnerable group.’
She explains that dozens of patients and injured individuals cannot reach hospitals due to the catastrophic conditions affecting the healthcare system and the small primary care centres located on the outskirts of cities, which have become difficult to access because of the Israeli ground invasion.
Additionally, the roads are congested, and travelling from one place to another is risky due to ongoing intense Israeli bombardment.
‘Therefore, I chose to initiate providing care to those I can, using the information and experience I have.’
In the morning, Riham carries her bag on her back after checking her first-aid supplies, including sanitisers, gauze, ointments, and saline solution, and she visits several tents every day to check on their wounds and change dressings.
But some wounds are infected and require a specialist to prescribe the appropriate antibiotics.
The cases Awad follows include various injuries, such as diabetic foot patients, amputees, and children with burns of different degrees, but the equipment and resources she needs to provide the care are not always available.
‘I obtain them from some medical points in the displacement camps, which also help with what they have.’
She added that the work she does brings her happiness and satisfaction: ‘I find myself, as I move between the tents of the displaced, providing assistance and healthcare to the injured and sick.’
The healthcare system in besieged Gaza is experiencing significant collapse, with most hospitals out of service due to the ongoing Israeli attacks for the past 14 months.
Many hospitals and health centres in Gaza have been deliberately targeted and rendered inoperative.
