Gaza faces humanitarian risk from collapsing war-damaged buildings

Authorities in Gaza are warning of a major humanitarian catastrophe as winter weather threatens to cause the collapse of war-damaged buildings. Approximately 1.2 million Palestinians, representing 58 percent of the population, are currently living in makeshift shelters or partially damaged structures.

According to Palestinian authorities, more than 2,000 buildings are at risk of collapse, including roughly 700 in central Gaza. The danger was highlighted by the recent collapse of the Al-Saada apartment block in Gaza City, which resulted in 21 deaths.

An emergency plan has been announced to evacuate and demolish 255 of the most at-risk buildings. However, officials report significant obstacles to these efforts, including a lack of heavy demolition machinery, severe funding shortages, and a lack of safe land available to relocate those being evacuated. Civil Defence teams have noted that heavy rainfall and strong winds are expected to further weaken already compromised structures.