Over 94% of Gaza’s Population Lacks Adequate Shelter Amid Ongoing Restrictions

Nearly the entire population of Gaza – 94 percent of its 2.1 million residents – is without suitable shelter as hostilities persist. More than four out of five families are described as living in critical or catastrophic conditions, lacking fuel, energy and basic household items. Roughly two‑thirds of families are confined to tents or temporary structures that rapidly deteriorate, especially after last winter’s floods, which impacted more than seven‑tenths of households. With the cold and rainy season approaching, exposure to harsh weather is expected to worsen the humanitarian picture.

Israeli controls on the entry of construction materials, heavy equipment, spare parts and lubricants are cited as the main barrier to erecting more durable housing. UN partners calculate a funding shortfall of about $562 million to raise living standards across the enclave. The lack of proper shelter also hampers daily life: families cannot cook, wash, store food or maintain lighting, and unsanitary conditions have prompted pest‑control teams to treat more than 3,250 high‑risk sites since May. More than 3,000 high‑risk locations, including displacement sites, markets and hospitals, have already received pest‑control interventions.

The humanitarian response extends beyond Gaza. The World Food Programme is delivering food assistance to around 1.5 million Gazans, while UNICEF has fitted solar power systems in sixteen primary health clinics and supports educational spaces. UNRWA is providing food parcels to refugees living in camps across southern Lebanon. In Lebanon, UNIFIL recorded 86 breaches of Lebanese airspace, nine airstrikes and 265 projectile launches from Monday to Wednesday, highlighting the broader security pressures. Recent burials for fifty Palestinians – nineteen children – whose remains were recovered after two years underscore the lingering human toll.