Although more food and commercial goods have reached Gaza since the ceasefire, Palestinians have been unable to return to normal living conditions. Pat Griffiths, a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said after a week-long visit to Gaza City that thousands of people were still living in tents and facing severe difficulties accessing basic necessities.
Griffiths said access to shelter, medical assistance, clean water, electricity and livelihoods remained inadequate. Describing the increase in aid trucks entering Gaza after the ceasefire as a positive development, Griffiths said humanitarian needs in the territory remained immense.
Civilians in Gaza lack safe shelter
Thousands of people in Gaza, displaced or having lost their homes, continue to live in tents. Griffiths said most people had been displaced multiple times over the past three years, while large families had little or no privacy in the tents. He said the tents became extremely hot in summer and cold and damp in winter.
Because of these conditions, some families are taking shelter in previously abandoned buildings that may not be safe or structurally sound. Griffiths said that on the day he arrived in Gaza, a damaged building housing more than 100 people collapsed; local search-and-rescue teams pulled many people from the rubble, and numerous people, including children, were killed.
Griffiths said families were forced to choose between staying in tents with limited privacy and exposure to harsh weather, and taking shelter in damaged structures at risk of collapse. He said the risk of building collapses would increase with heavy rain and strong winds. He called for more heavy machinery to be allowed into Gaza for rubble removal and long-term shelter solutions.
Access to basic services remains limited
Griffiths said one of the biggest challenges facing Red Cross teams in Gaza was reaching people in need. He said security conditions meant that teams could not always access some areas and locations where people in need were staying, including detention centers.
Griffiths said ensuring humanitarian access was an obligation of the parties to the armed conflict and the occupying powers, adding that discussions with the relevant actors on the issue were continuing. He said progress was needed in allowing equipment into Gaza not only for food, medicine and basic necessities, but also for the safe removal of rubble, the search for human remains, and the repair of damaged water and sewage systems.
Hospitals and primary health care centers in Gaza are experiencing shortages of medicines and medical supplies, while residents are struggling to access higher-quality and more nutritious food. Shortages of fuel and motor oil are disrupting essential services that depend on generators. People who have lost their homes and livelihoods are also struggling to access cash.
The ceasefire has not ended the suffering
Griffiths said the ceasefire had not ended the suffering of people in Gaza. He said children had been deprived of education, people with chronic illnesses could not access necessary health care, and families had lost their homes and livelihoods. He added that some families still did not know the fate of relatives who had been detained or killed.
Griffiths said a Palestinian journalist he met had read him a poem he had written about a bird spreading its wings and flying. Griffiths said the journalist wanted the freedom to make choices and determine his own future, adding that many people in Gaza shared similar dreams, hopes and anxieties about the future.
The representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross said the organization was adapting its humanitarian work to changing needs, but that further action was required on food, water, shelter, health care and preserving family ties. Griffiths said Palestinians in Gaza had the right to access the conditions necessary for health, family life and a dignified existence, pointing to the principles of international humanitarian law in protecting that right.
Palestinians want to return to normal life
Griffiths said Palestinians living in Gaza wanted to go to school, see their friends, work and live with their families in their own homes. He said that despite the war and destruction, people continued to help one another, their families, their communities and strangers, and that solidarity and hospitality persisted.
Griffiths said the desire of Palestinians in Gaza to live with dignity was connected to the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. He added that the international community had a responsibility to help protect civilians from the effects of the conflict and ensure their access to the basic services they needed.
