Calls to Bring in Temporary Housing Units to Protect Women, Children, and the Elderly

At a workshop organized by the Ministry of Women's Affairs in Gaza, human rights activists and officials called for pressure on Israel to allow the entry of temporary housing units (caravans) into the Strip, with priority given to women, children, and the elderly. Officials noted that about 250,000 families live in worn-out tents and demanded international funding for reconstruction.

At a workshop organized by the Ministry of Women's Affairs in Gaza on Monday, human rights figures and government officials called for international and UN pressure on the Israeli occupation authorities to comply with the ceasefire agreement and allow the entry of temporary housing units (caravans) into the Gaza Strip. Participants stressed the need to prioritize the distribution of these units to female-headed households, pregnant and breastfeeding women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. They recommended a gradual transition from emergency shelter to adequate temporary housing and then permanent housing, while mobilizing international funding for reconstruction. They also called for accelerating the removal of rubble, debris, and unexploded ordnance, addressing dangerous buildings, forming a central Palestinian body for reconstruction, and developing an accurate damage database. The Director General of Housing at the Ministry of Public Works, Eng. Maher Salem, stated that about 250,000 families live in worn-out tents, stressing the need to provide temporary housing units that meet the minimum requirements of dignified living. Osama al-Ghoul from the Human Rights Network for Palestine presented a paper on the right of displaced women to adequate housing, emphasizing physical safety, privacy, and protection from violence. A representative of the Protection Center for Human Rights, Raed al-Barsh, reviewed the international legal basis for the demand, while the legal advisor to the Ministry of Women's Affairs, Dr. Mahmoud Zeidan, referred to CEDAW and UN Security Council Resolution 1325.