An estimated 564,000 children in the besieged Gaza Strip are now living in “critical or catastrophic” shelter conditions as rains flood camps designated for the displaced in the Palestinian coastal territory, Save the Children warns.
Over three years after Israel launched its genocidal war on the impoverished Palestinian territory, which has led to the near-total destruction of the region and the killing of more than 70,000 Palestinians, children in the besieged territory are still living in “critical or catastrophic” shelter conditions, Save the Children said in a report.
More than half a million children in Gaza are now facing their fourth winter in torn tents or makeshift shelters, many burning garbage to stay warm, as Israel's restrictions continue to block the entry of materials needed to keep them safe from cold and flooding, said the London-based international non-governmental organization on Sunday.
“In the past three years, children have died from hypothermia in Gaza. These were completely preventable deaths. As the occupying power, Israel has a legal obligation to ensure civilians receive the supplies they need to survive. Instead, it is depriving families of the most basic means to protect their children, and it must be held accountable for any child deaths that result,” said Ahmad Alhendawi, Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe at Save the Children International.
He further slammed the Israeli regime for blocking the entry of desperately needed materials and aid supplies waiting at the enclave’s border.
“Tents, shelter kits and fuel are waiting at Gaza’s borders while children sleep in floodwater, because the Israeli authorities are blocking their entry. This is a choice, and children are paying the price. More than a year into the so-called ceasefire, it has failed to protect Palestinian children,” Alhendawi said.
The occupying entity has repeatedly blocked the caravans the ceasefire promised as an alternative to tents.
Citing a recent assessment by the Palestine Shelter Cluster, the report noted that these 564,000 children are among 1.2 million Gazans – roughly 58 percent of the population – who are currently living in “critical or catastrophic” shelter conditions, with many families crowded into flimsy tents or makeshift shelters that have deteriorated after years of exposure to harsh weather, repeated dismantling and constant rebuilding.
The assessment further revealed that some 48 percent of those surveyed in Gaza are resorting to burning plastic, tires, garbage, or cardboard to cook, with 84 percent saying they have no effective way to heat their shelters.
“The toxic fumes released by burning these materials can cause serious health problems, including respiratory illnesses, smoke inhalation, and carbon monoxide poisoning, as well as fires and burns. In crowded camps and poorly ventilated shelters, children are particularly vulnerable,” Save the Children warned, adding that winter clothing covers just 1 percent of the over 1 million people who need it.
According to the report, 464,000 Gazans live in sites that are at high risk of flooding, with 60 percent of the $283 million needed for winter unfunded.
Last winter, hypothermia killed at least 11 children in the besieged territory, Save the Children further said.
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