GAZA, (PIC)
“We don’t want instant noodles and chocolate… we want tents and caravans.” With these words, Palestinian activist and journalist Mahmoud Al-Amoudi summarized the urgent need for basic necessities that the people of Gaza are pleading to be brought into the enclave amid the severe cold and winter conditions and the lack of shelter for hundreds of thousands of families in the Gaza Strip.
Al-Amoudi confirmed that non-essential goods, food, and supplies are abundantly available in Gaza’s markets today, but essential items that could change people’s lives, such as tents, solar energy solutions to help sustain their lives, caravans, and equipment for water wells, have not yet entered Gaza.
He emphasized the necessity of bringing in the essential needs that the people of the region require today to restore their lives and face the cold winter.
Genocide continues
Journalist Anas Al-Sharif affirmed in a post on X that the genocide is ongoing, as most of Gaza’s residents are still exposed to the severe winter conditions, while others resort to the ruins of homes that are at risk of collapsing on them.
He added, “There has been no electricity for 15 months, no treatment, no hospitals, and no medicine, and no medical teams have entered to treat the injured.”
Al-Sharif continued to describe the tragic scene, “No tents, no caravans, not even materials to repair what remains of the buildings, nor rescue equipment to pull those trapped under the rubble.”
Humanitarian protocol still disrupted
Despite the clear agreements outlined in the humanitarian protocol signed as part of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, and the urgent need to bring humanitarian and shelter assistance into the Gaza Strip, Israel continues to delay the implementation of this protocol and the delivery of relief operations to the displaced victims of the Israeli genocide.
Residents of the Gaza Strip, especially in the northern governorate, are suffering from dire humanitarian conditions due to the extensive destruction caused by the Israeli occupation army to homes and infrastructure, alongside a shortage of shelter centers, tents, and a complete lack of basic necessities.
The humanitarian protocol stipulates the entry of 60,000 caravans and 200,000 tents into the region to accommodate the displaced whose homes have been destroyed by the occupation forces, in addition to the entry of sufficient humanitarian and relief aid and fuel, averaging 600 trucks daily.
It stresses the need to bring in equipment for humanitarian, medical, health services, civil defense, infrastructure repair, operating the power plant, and equipment necessary for debris and rubble removal.
Despite what is outlined in the humanitarian protocol, the occupation army continues to impose obstacles and delays in execution, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and multiplying the suffering of the people in the region, which will have dangerous and unprecedented repercussions, according to the Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza.
Shelter, relief, and reconstruction as a priority
Hamas spokesperson Abdul-Latif Al-Qanou announced on Tuesday that communications and negotiations for the second phase have begun, emphasizing that the Movement is currently focusing on shelter, relief, and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.
Al-Qanou added in press statements that Israel is obstructing the humanitarian protocol in the ceasefire agreement and is stalling its implementation.
He confirmed that providing shelter and relief for the Palestinian people is an urgent humanitarian issue that cannot tolerate procrastination on the part of Israel, adding that rebuilding hospitals, repairing roads, and restoring water wells are vital to revive life in Gaza after the immense destruction.
Catastrophic conditions
The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor reported that the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic, despite 16 days having passed since the declaration of the ceasefire agreement, with almost all relief channels being disrupted and urgent humanitarian needs not being met for over 2.3 million people in the region.
It confirmed that the Gaza Strip is witnessing a deteriorating humanitarian situation, amidst a tragic reality faced by hundreds of thousands of citizens daily.
It added that despite international promises, no tangible change has been observed in the suffering of the residents, as urgent humanitarian needs remain unaddressed.
The Monitor recorded the arrival of only 9,500 tents, most of which are small and of poor quality. The initial need was estimated at around 120,000 tents, meaning that the tents received do not exceed 8% of the total emergency requirement.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians lack adequate temporary accommodation due to the extensive destruction of homes and buildings, particularly in northern Gaza, Rafah, and large parts of Gaza City and Khan Yunis.
Call on Jordan to prioritize tents
On Monday, the GMO appealed to the charitable organization in Jordan to prioritize sending tents and shelter supplies for the Palestinian displaced persons who have lost their homes over the past 15 months due to the Israeli war of genocide, as part of the incoming relief convoys.
The GMO said in a press release, “In light of the catastrophic humanitarian conditions faced by our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and with the continued arrival of relief convoys from various parties, we emphasize the urgent and immediate need to provide shelter for the displaced who have lost their homes due to the brutal Israeli aggression against our people.”
It continued, “We call on our brothers in the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organization to prioritize sending tents and shelter supplies within their upcoming relief convoys, alongside food and emergency supplies at this time.”
For its part, the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organization confirmed that dispatching tents from Jordan to Gaza is ongoing as part of a comprehensive humanitarian plan aimed at providing maximum support to the people in the enclave.
The organization stated in a statement on Monday that it will send 30,000 tents in the coming week as part of ongoing relief and humanitarian efforts since the start of the war on the Strip.
It indicated that it will receive a large number of tents donated by several organizations and countries in the upcoming days and will work to deliver them to the affected residents to ensure suitable shelter under the current difficult circumstances.
