New York – Gaza: Europe and the Arabs

A severe weather system impacting the region has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, particularly for displaced people living in tents that offer little protection from rain, wind, and freezing temperatures.

The Civil Defense Authority in Gaza reported three deaths resulting from partial collapses of dilapidated buildings affected by the storm. Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal stated via Telegram that "the situation is very serious," adding that "buildings no longer provide safe shelter for residents given the continued rain and wind," according to European media reports.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains critical, with harsh weather conditions threatening progress in the humanitarian response.

OCHA reported that its humanitarian partners distributed supplies to 28,000 families last week to help meet the immense shelter needs. Those supplies included 1,600 tents, 16,000 plastic covers and 27,000 blankets. According to the UN daily news bulletin, a copy of which we received, humanitarian partners warned that at least 1.1 million people remain in dire need of assistance as rainstorms continue to severely damage and destroy many existing shelters. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) explained that a new storm swept through displaced persons' tents across Gaza on Friday, leaving thousands homeless once again. The UN and its partners are conducting assessments and providing assistance to the most vulnerable. Partners emphasized that tents remain a temporary solution and that more supplies are needed, including tools, cement, and heavy machinery for debris removal, as well as continued funding to transition from emergency to early recovery efforts. Children continue to die from the cold. OCHA noted that children continue to be severely affected by the freezing temperatures and harsh weather. Humanitarian partners reported the death of another infant on Sunday due to hypothermia, bringing the total number of reported deaths to four, all of them young children, according to the Ministry of Health. Since the ceasefire By the end of the year, aid organizations had distributed more than 310,000 winter clothing kits for children and more than 112,000 pairs of shoes as part of their winter response. They also set up 150 specialized tents across the Gaza Strip to be used as safe, child-friendly spaces.

Meanwhile, humanitarian partners leading efforts to address malnutrition reported screening more than 76,000 children last month and identifying approximately 4,900 cases of acute malnutrition, including more than 820 cases of severe acute malnutrition. This brings the total number of cases of acute malnutrition identified in 2025 to nearly 95,000.

Education Improvement Efforts
In the education sector, partners leading education solutions continued to expand their work, with 18 additional temporary learning spaces opening last week for approximately 35,000 students. The total number of temporary learning spaces currently operating is 440, accommodating approximately 268,000 children.

Efforts to improve access to education for all continue. Children are in need of education, but partners report that Israeli authorities are still preventing the entry of educational supplies, arguing that education is not a vital activity during the initial phase of the ceasefire.

The UN continues to call for rapid, sustained, and unimpeded access to allow the UN and its humanitarian partners to scale up assistance more quickly, prevent further deterioration, and alleviate the suffering of the people.