"Government Media Office" Launches Urgent Appeal to Save Displaced People from the Shelter Catastrophe
The Government Media Office in Gaza issued an urgent appeal to save the displaced from the shelter catastrophe, warning of the consequences of harsh conditions. It confirmed that 509,393 displaced families include more than 2.15 million people, among them 196,287 families living in worn-out tents. It denounced the "Israeli veto" that prevents the entry of caravans and construction materials, and expressed dismay at international silence. It warned of a humanitarian catastrophe as winter approaches, calling on the international community to pressure to break the siege and allow aid in.
The Government Media Office in Gaza issued, on Monday, a national and urgent appeal to rescue the catastrophic living and housing conditions of the displaced in the Strip, warning of the consequences of continued harsh shelter conditions. In a statement, the office stressed the need for immediate intervention to protect the most vulnerable groups, noting that documented data from the national shelter system reveals the scale of the catastrophe. It explained that the total number of displaced families amounts to 509,393, comprising more than 2.15 million displaced people, including 1,027,396 individuals in shelter centers and 1,122,566 outside them. It added that 196,287 families, comprising 867,228 individuals, live in primitive, worn-out tents that need immediate replacement. The office denounced what it described as the deliberate "Israeli veto" that prevents the entry of basic shelter requirements, and expressed dismay at international silence over the obstruction of urgent interventions. It warned of a humanitarian catastrophe as winter approaches, given the presence of highly vulnerable groups, including 46,014 elderly, 23,584 widows, 59,795 orphans, 15,687 people with disabilities, and more than half a million children. It called on the international community to exert decisive pressure to break the occupation's veto and allow the entry of temporary shelter units "caravans," prioritizing families headed by women, pregnant and nursing women, children, and the elderly. It urged UN organizations and donors to place shelter programs and rubble removal at the top of funding priorities, and called on human rights institutions to document violations and submit reports to international judicial bodies. The office praised the resilience of the Palestinian people, affirming that their will represents a message that "the occupation will not break Gaza and its people."