By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

 An UNRWA spokesperson says Gaza is on the verge of “a major humanitarian catastrophe,” particularly with the onset of winter and the widespread deterioration of makeshift tents sheltering displaced families after months of intense conflict.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has warned that nine out of ten people in Gaza are experiencing some form of malnutrition, as Israeli restrictions continue to block essential humanitarian aid from entering the besieged enclave, according to reports.

UNRWA spokesperson Adnan Abu Hasna said in a press briefing that Israeli authorities are preventing “hundreds of types of aid” from reaching the enclave, adding that no assistance has entered through the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza, the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reported.

The UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) warns that 90% of Gaza’s population is suffering from malnutrition due to Israel’s ongoing blockade. Essential humanitarian aid remains barred from entering the territory. pic.twitter.com/qOf9k7kwke

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) November 13, 2025

Abu Hasna cautioned that Gaza is on the verge of “a major humanitarian catastrophe,” particularly with the onset of winter and the widespread deterioration of makeshift tents sheltering displaced families after months of intense conflict.

His remarks echo earlier warnings by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which said that despite a ceasefire, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains critically dire.

More than 900,00 Displaced

MSF emergency coordinator Caroline Seguin accused Israeli authorities of obstructing the entry of medical supplies, hygiene kits, shelter materials, and other essential items, describing the scale of suffering as “entirely preventable,” the report added.

Seguin said thousands of displaced people are living in overcrowded, deteriorating tents lacking water and electricity, with growing piles of waste and rising cases of skin, respiratory, and gastrointestinal diseases as temperatures drop.

Using simple, improvised tools, displaced Palestinians try to drain rainwater that has flooded their worn-out tents as the first winter storm hits the Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/ae09MZL6E8

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) November 14, 2025

The spokesperson for the Khan Younis Municipality, Saeb Laqqan, warned on Thursday that more than 900,000 forcibly displaced Palestinians are currently living in makeshift tents in the coastal al-Mawasi area, expressing deep concern for their safety as a weather depression approaches, Al Mayadeen reported.

Laqqan stressed the urgent need to pressure the Israeli authorities to allow the entry of essential equipment required by the municipality to carry out its work and secure the displaced population in these emergency conditions.

According to UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Peiris:

— Israel is preventing the entry of essential supplies into Gaza, including vaccination syringes and baby milk bottles.

— A total of 938,000 ready-to-use infant formula bottles have been held back since last August which means…

— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) November 12, 2025

UNICEF said this week that several key items continue to be prevented from entering Gaza, including 938,000 bottles of infant formula, along with spare parts required to operate water trucks, according to Al Mayadeen.

“That’s nearly one million bottles that could be reaching children who have been suffering from different levels of malnutrition,” UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said.

Winter in Tents

Meanwhile, the Palestinian population is facing winter in tents that offer little protection from the bitter cold after Israel destroyed their homes in the two-year military onslaught.

UNRWA confirmed on Thursday that 282,000 homes in Gaza were destroyed or damaged by Israeli bombardment, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.

❗️The first rainfall of this fall fell heavily on Gaza. Displaced families in Gaza City woke up to water rushing into their tents as the first rainfall of the season flooded entire rows of shelters, turning the ground beneath them into pools of mud within minutes. Parents… pic.twitter.com/RQS6G2NGFu

— Translating Falasteen (Palestine) (@translatingpal) November 14, 2025

The UN agency explained that this figure is based on data from the Humanitarian Aid Mechanism for Shelter, which is jointly managed by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Cramped Conditions

It noted that tens of thousands of Palestinian families are forced to live in tents as winter approaches. The agency pointed out that Palestinian families are living in cramped conditions, lacking privacy and having limited access to basic services.

According to the Global Shelter Cluster, over 282,000 homes in #Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, leaving people without shelter.

Amid the destruction and rubble, many families are living in tents as winter approaches, often with limited space, privacy, and basic services.… pic.twitter.com/3wmal4XFlW

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) November 13, 2025

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has conducted a number of assessments across Gaza in recent weeks.

These assessments included areas where residents live or have been displaced, including areas near the so-called “Yellow Line,” where Israeli ground forces remain.

He added that the teams indicate that communities in areas near the Yellow Line are in dire need of assistance and that it is essential to restore services quickly.

Withdrawal, Aggression in Children

More than nine in 10 children in Gaza are displaying signs of aggressive behaviour linked to more than two years of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, according to a UN News report, citing welfare agencies.

Assessments conducted by child safety partners in the Gaza Strip and published by the UN aid coordination office (OCHA), 93 percent of children exhibited aggressive behaviour and 90 per cent were violent towards younger children.

“Sadness and withdrawal are almost as common (86 per cent), along with disturbed sleep (79 per cent) and widespread refusal to study (69 per cent),” the report stated.

#Gaza: War has made children violent, sad and bereft

UN aid partners providing assistance to youngsters, report that they suffer from heightened anxiety. https://t.co/9sK4tWdeEM

— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) November 13, 2025

The report noted that out of Gaza’s 2.1 million population, approximately a million currently live in 862 displacement sites.

Many camps are overcrowded, increasing the dangers for girls and children – particularly those with disabilities at risk from violence, neglect and dangerous access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, the report stated.

According to UNRWA, around 75,000 people are living in approximately 100 of its designated shelters and surrounding areas.

Heightened Anxiety

UN aid partners also report that children are suffering from heightened anxiety, behavioural changes and growing concern over the ongoing lack of safe spaces.

The report noted that in the four weeks since the US-brokered ceasefire took effect, humanitarian partners have delivered child protection services to more than 132,000 across the Gaza Strip. This includes nearly 1,600 children with disabilities and 45,000 caregivers, OCHA said.

Drawings from Palestinian children in Gaza reveal the trauma of Israel’s war.

An aid worker in Gaza, who runs a psychological support programme for children, says that despite a ceasefire the trauma of having their childhood stolen will not go away. pic.twitter.com/DVwoUlBR0l

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 10, 2025

Assistance has included individual psychological consultations, group sessions, stress management activities, recreational psychosocial support and referrals for further help.

“The aim is to reach more than 100,000 children each month to address the needs of nearly one million children in the Gaza Strip,” the report stated.

Staggering Death Toll

Starting on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military, with American support, launched a genocidal war against the people of Gaza. This campaign has so far resulted in the deaths of over 69,000 Palestinians, with more than 170,000 wounded. The vast majority of the population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is unprecedented since World War II. Thousands of people are still missing.

Israel Strikes inside ‘Yellow Line’ despite Ceasefire as Death Toll Rises

In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.

Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.

(MEMO, AJA, PC)