UN humanitarians warned of a severe threat to displaced families in the Gaza Strip from open fires used for cooking in dangerously overcrowded temporary shelters.<\/p>\n
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said families cook, sleep and store their belongings in small spaces, noting that the practice poses not only a fire hazard but also risks to residents\u2019 health.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince November 2025, our partners have recorded at least 12 fires in these shelters,\u201d said OCHA. \u201cIn the ten days leading up to 17 February, humanitarians provided shelter assistance to 85 families in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis whose shelters were damaged by a fire in Gaza city.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDisplaced families need adequate shelter to protect them from the elements and provide more privacy,\u201d the office said, adding that humanitarian partners reiterate the urgent need to move towards more sustainable solutions.<\/p>\n
Humanitarians have long been calling for increased and more durable shelter supplies to be allowed into the Strip.<\/p>\n
The office said that in many areas within Gaza, humanitarian movements still require coordination with Israeli authorities. Of 67 movements coordinated between Feb. 12 and 19, 43 were approved and nine were denied outright. Eight missions were approved but faced impediments, of which six were fully accomplished.<\/p>\n
In the West Bank, OCHA warned of continued violence and other coercive practices by Israeli forces and settler communities, resulting in casualties, destruction of property and displacement.<\/p>\n
The office said that between Feb. 3 and 16, Israeli forces in the West Bank killed three Palestinians, bringing the total number this year to nine, including two children.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring the same period, at least 86 Israeli settler attacks were recorded, during which over 60 Palestinians were injured, and some 146 people were displaced,\u201d OCHA said.<\/p>\n
It added that since January 2023, and as of Feb. 16, 880 Palestinian families more than 4,700 people have been displaced across the West Bank due to settler attacks and access restrictions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UN humanitarians warned of a severe threat to displaced families in the Gaza Strip from open fires used for cooking in dangerously overcrowded temporary shelters. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said families cook, sleep and store their belongings in small spaces, noting that the practice poses not only a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":71972,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,17],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[213],"class_list":{"0":"post-72244","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-latest","8":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n