Gaza crisis: 1 million displaced face catastrophic summer conditions

The Palestinian Ministry of Social Development warned that about one million people in Gaza are living in tents and temporary shelters as summer heat intensifies. More than 850,000 still lack basic shelter supplies, and over 70,000 have suffered illnesses linked to the cramped, unsanitary conditions, with children accounting for roughly 80% of cases.

Approximately 76.6% of housing units have been destroyed, leaving around 8,500 bodies buried under rubble and millions of tons of waste piling up. The near‑total collapse of municipal services and waste‑management systems has created toxic gases and heightened disease risk. The ministry appealed to the United Nations and international donors for urgent assistance to provide shelter, clean water, waste removal, and sanitation infrastructure.

The deteriorating environment threatens a broader public‑health disaster, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, women, the elderly and people with disabilities.