Shelter & protection · Gaza & West Bank
Safer shelter in Gaza before winter
Recent reports show why rescue equipment, safer accommodation and winter supplies need to be planned together.
Published
A collapse that exposed a wider danger
A war-damaged residential building collapsed in Gaza City on September 16. OCHA’s situation report, titled September 18 and published on September 21, says 21 people were killed, including 12 children, and dozens were injured. These are reported figures, attributed by OCHA to Civil Defence and local health authorities.
Civil Defence led rescue operations, with support from Egypt and the United Nations Development Programme. UNDP brought machinery to the site. UNICEF and its partners provided psychological first aid and helped local health-care providers obtain medicines and medical supplies for those injured. The response connected rescue work with care for survivors and their families.
Safer accommodation needs practical support
In his September 16 statement, UN Humanitarian Coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov described people living in hundreds of buildings assessed as unsafe because better options were unavailable. He called for equipment and fuel for rescue operations, alongside tents, tarpaulins and other essential supplies.
The statement also described support for people choosing to leave damaged buildings and flood-prone areas for safer sites. Voluntary relocation requires usable alternatives and practical help to move. A warning about a dangerous structure cannot, by itself, provide another place to sleep. Safer accommodation needs materials, access and sustained support beyond the first emergency response.
Preparing before the rains arrive
UNICEF’s September 17 appeal seeks US$97.5 million to protect 540,000 children and their families across Gaza and the West Bank during October 2026–March 2027. This is a proposed response target, not a count of children already reached.
Its plans combine winter clothing and blankets with shelter reinforcement, drainage clearance, sanitation measures and cash assistance. UNICEF also warns that regional disruption is complicating supply production and transport.
The two timelines overlap: rescue teams need equipment immediately, while families need shelter materials and winter supplies before the weather worsens. Funding and access decisions made now affect both.