A damning new assessment has revealed that thousands of tents supplied to shelter displaced Palestinians in Gaza are failing to protect them from the territory's harsh winter conditions, with many blowing down in recent storms.
Shelter Assessment Exposes Critical Flaws
The evaluation, compiled by shelter specialists in Gaza, found that tents provided by China, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia offer only limited protection against rain and wind. According to UN estimates, fierce storms in recent weeks have blown down or damaged thousands of tents, affecting at least 235,000 people. The findings directly challenge claims that adequate shelter is being supplied to Gaza's population.
The report was prepared by the Palestine Shelter Cluster, which coordinates nearly 700 non-governmental organisations in Palestine and is jointly chaired by the Red Cross and the UN. It concluded that newly delivered tents housing hundreds of thousands would "likely need to be replaced."
Specific Failures and a Patchwork of Aid
The assessment detailed specific failures. It reported that the fabric of Egyptian tents "tears easily as sewing quality is poor" and is not waterproof. Other issues included small windows, weak structures, no flooring, and roofs that collect water due to their design.
Tents from Saudi Arabia were criticised for having "non-waterproof light fabric" and a weak structure, while those donated by China were described as "very light" and also not waterproof. In contrast, tents supplied by Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations were judged to have met the specifications of UN experts.
The findings, based on 9,000 responses to a social media poll in November, ground observations, and community feedback, raise serious questions about the quality of aid supplied directly by individual countries. This direct supply chain has been favoured by Israeli authorities seeking to bypass UN agencies.
A Deepening Humanitarian Catastrophe
The shelter crisis compounds an already desperate situation. Almost all of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced multiple times since the conflict was triggered by a Hamas raid into Israel in October 2023, which killed 1,200 people. Israel's ensuing offensive has killed about 70,000, according to the article.
An aid official stated that since a ceasefire in October, only 20,000 of the 90,000 tents that entered Gaza were supplied by the UN or major international NGOs. Palestinians report that tents sold commercially are both expensive and inadequate.
"The tent we live in is worn out and rainwater leaks inside," said Linda Abu Halima, 30, displaced to Mawasi. "We cannot buy a new tent due to the high prices, and we have not received any aid at all."
The Israeli defence ministry body overseeing aid, Cogat, says it is working to support "winterisation" by allowing over 25,000 tonnes of tarpaulins and tents into the territory. However, aid officials say efforts to reinforce flood defences are hindered by Israeli restrictions on heavy equipment and construction materials, which Israel says could be used for military purposes by Hamas.
The human cost is stark. Palestinian officials report 19 people have been killed by buildings collapsing after heavy rain. Jawaher Abd Rabbo, 25, living in a ruined building in Gaza City, described her family's plight: "Rainwater soaked everything... I know staying in a ruined building during winter is extremely dangerous, but we have no other choice."
With hopes for a further ceasefire fading and a new Israeli law threatening to ban many NGOs operating in Gaza, the outlook for improving shelter conditions remains bleak, leaving hundreds of thousands perilously exposed to the elements.
