Nearly a million displaced Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip are at risk of extreme cold and rain this winter, the United Nations refugee agency for Palestine refugees has warned.
“Displaced people in Gaza need protection from rain and cold. Only about 23 percent of needs have been met, leaving 945,000 people at risk of winter exposure,” the UN agency said in a statement.
It added that urgent assistance was needed to address the huge needs as the crisis deepened.
UNRWA said Palestinian civilians in the central town of Deir al-Balah and across the enclave were “searching through the rubble of their destroyed homes, trying to salvage what little remains after Israeli airstrikes.”
“The human cost of this war is unbearable,” UNRWA said, reiterating its call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to prevent further suffering.
Israel has launched a war in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 44,700 people, mostly women and children, since October 7, 2023.
Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza.
