When Khulud Jarboueh and her children fled their home in the northern Gaza Strip under Israeli bombardment in early October, the young ones were wearing just shorts and T-shirts. The heat of late summer lingered then, but as winter approached, the cold settled in, making life even more challenging for many whom the war had displaced.
Thousands of Gazans, mainly in the northern part of the besieged territory, remain displaced from their homes after Israel’s military campaign began on Oct. 7, sparked by Hamas attacks on Israel communities. The army has been pressing them to move south by announcing brief windows for what it says will be safe passage through the main north-south artery, Salah al-Din, which runs through the center of the besieged enclave.
As the chilly weather sets in, many of those displaced are spending their nights in squalid camps or staying with family members. Others live in overcrowded shelters set up by the U.N. refugee agency, which has been unable to meet the massive demand. Schools are being used as temporary shelters in the most damaged parts of the enclave.
Some 270,000 displaced people live in 102 schools, most of them not equipped to serve as such, said UNRWA. The agency’s spokesman in Gaza, Fatima Al-Kassab, said the situation is “dire” and that more funding will be needed to meet the increasing need.
She said families are struggling to find food and other basics. She says the average monthly wage in Gaza is about $500, but the cost of food has soared because the price of wheat has doubled and other essential goods have also increased. She said that families are also having to spend more on heating oil and paying for gas to run their stoves and water heaters.
She added that the cold and wet weather has added to the challenges displaced Gazans face. The daily volume of humanitarian aid entering the enclave from Egypt only serves 4 percent of the population’s needs, and desperately needed fuel remains banned.
The United Nations warns that the crisis could deteriorate into a new humanitarian disaster if Israel launches a broad offensive in southern Gaza in its efforts to stamp out Hamas. International patience with the protracted invasion is beginning to wear thin, and an assault in the area could push nearly 2 million displaced people into overcrowded shelters at a time of year when temperatures in the region are typically much lower. Associated Press writer Ruth Sherlock in Rome and NPR’s Daniel Wood in Washington contributed to this report.
