GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Hunter McGovern, project coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in Gaza, has warned of rapidly worsening humanitarian conditions in the Strip as severe winter weather compounds the suffering caused by continued Israeli assaults.
In media statements on Wednesday, McGovern said Gaza is enduring brutal winter conditions, with large numbers of residents forced to live in makeshift plastic shelters.
He noted that those who aren’t in plastic shelters are living in old, damaged tents battered by strong winds and heavy rain. Many Palestinians have been residing in these tents for a long time, repeatedly relocating them due to floods and harsh winter conditions.
McGovern added that the tents, at best, are extremely fragile, and signs of wear and tear are now clearly visible. He stressed that children and adults alike are dying from the cold, and described the situation as worse than a “catastrophe.”
Entire families, he said, are surviving under a limited number of blankets, which, when soaked, can have deadly consequences.
He further noted that Israeli airstrikes continue on a regular basis, and that Israel has banned the activities of certain international NGOs operating in Gaza.
MSF’s Gaza City project currently supports nearly 2,900 patients. However, McGovern warned that the organization is among those slated to be banned, and its services are irreplaceable for many who depend on them for survival.
On January 4, 2025, Israel began revoking the licenses of 37 international aid organizations operating in Gaza, accusing them of refusing to hand over employee lists and failing to comply with new security registration protocols.
Meanwhile, Israeli authorities continue to block the entry of adequate amounts of food, medicine, and humanitarian supplies into Gaza, which now hosts around 1.5 million displaced people out of the 2.4 million total population, under siege for more than 18 years.
