Health System and Shelter Crisis Deepen in Gaza as Winter Approaches

In Gaza, which is under Israeli attacks and blockade, the health system has collapsed, and with the approaching winter season, people sheltered in tents are facing health, housing, clean water, and hygiene crises.

In Gaza, which is under blockade and ongoing Israeli attacks despite the ceasefire, the health system is under extreme pressure. While 36 hospitals and major clinics operated across the Gaza Strip before the war, only 19 hospitals and clinics are reportedly active today, and major administrative areas such as northern Gaza have no remaining hospitals.

As relief supplies, medicines, and medical equipment entering the region decrease, the number of specialized healthcare personnel is also dropping. As winter approaches, problems multiply for people staying in tents devoid of basic living conditions, with over 90 percent of the population in the north reportedly living in tents. This situation is expected to lead to an increase in upper respiratory tract, skin, and contagious infections.

As access to clean drinking and daily-use water is difficult in Gaza, maintaining hygiene becomes impossible, with more than 50 percent of cases showing parasite and lice infestations, and rodents multiplying. While calls are made to open borders, deliver medical supplies, establish field hospitals, and support the health system, recent reports indicate that approximately 33,000 patients are waiting to be evacuated; to date, only 5,700 patients have been able to be evacuated.