Nearly 44,000 people in Gaza live in buildings requiring demolition — Euronews
In the Gaza Strip, more than 2,300 damaged buildings where nearly 44,000 people still live require complete or partial demolition. This is stated in preliminary assessments by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Euronews reports. People are not leaving unsafe homes because they have no alternative shelter ahead of the rainy season.
Abdullah Siam, a resident of Al-Mughraqa in central Gaza, said cracks appeared in the ceiling of his home after neighboring houses were shelled. During rain, the family moves mattresses to the only corner of the house where the roof does not leak. His neighbor, Mariam Abu Hazein, collects water in containers and pushes it out of the rooms and bathroom.
Rising prices for tents and tarpaulins
Gaza residents are also facing rising prices for temporary housing materials. At the Deir al-Balah market, the price of tarpaulin has risen from 120 to 180 shekels, while large sheets cost around 230 shekels. A dome tent has risen in price from 1,300 to 1,700 shekels.
Ahmed al-Sikaly, a displaced person from Khan Younis, said he spent about 1,200 shekels reinforcing his tent: he bought timber for beams and two tarpaulins. According to an assessment by the Norwegian Refugee Council conducted in June, 71% of surveyed families living in damaged buildings cannot afford repair materials.
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Risk of collapses and restrictions on aid
On September 16, the Al-Saada residential building collapsed in Gaza City. According to Gaza Civil Defense, 21 people were killed, including 12 children and five women. Service spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said residents had been warned about the danger, but remained because they had no other housing. Over the following 24 hours, the service received around 150 requests from people in dangerous buildings.
The Norwegian Refugee Council said Israeli authorities approved the entry of 36,960 units of timber and 660 emergency shelter kits in August, but subsequently blocked their entry into Gaza. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories of Israel told international media that heavy equipment and reconstruction materials would not be allowed in until Hamas was disarmed, accusing the group of using humanitarian aid; Hamas denies this.
According to the UN, as of September 18, the shelter cluster had received 26% of the required funding, totalling $193.7 million. An assessment of more than 400 sites hosting displaced people identified 217 locations with a medium or high risk of flooding, where around 235,000 people are staying.
