UN reports Gaza shelter crisis deepens as 92 per cent of homes destroyed
At least 850,000 people require emergency assistance as families construct makeshift shelters from ruins and plastic sheeting, while humanitarian efforts are hindered by continued limits on material entry.
The United Nations has reported that more than 92 per cent of homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed by Israel’s war, marking a deepening humanitarian crisis more than two and a half years into the conflict. The scale of physical destruction is estimated in the tens of billions of dollars, but the immediate reality for residents is characterised by households lacking basic utilities such as water and electricity.
According to the Palestine Shelter Cluster, at least 850,000 people now require emergency shelter assistance. The agency has identified critical shortages of essential construction materials, specifically plastic sheeting, rope, and plywood. Without these items, families are forced to erect makeshift shelters wherever they can find space, including pitching tents on the ruins of their former homes or sealing off collapsing mosques with available plastic sheeting.
Living conditions have deteriorated significantly, with reports describing children sleeping in torn tents and rodents breeding beneath nearby rubble. Shelter needs were already severe prior to the October 2025 ceasefire, having been exacerbated by a six-month blockade that preceded the truce. The current situation reflects the cumulative impact of near-constant bombardment and the subsequent failure to rebuild infrastructure.
Humanitarian response efforts are further constrained by continuing Israeli restrictions on the entry of critical construction materials. These limitations are preventing aid organisations from responding at the necessary scale to replace, repair, and reinforce shelters. The restrictions effectively block the supply chain required to address the massive deficit in habitable housing identified by UN assessments.
The crisis underscores the prolonged displacement of Gaza’s population, with families stitching together makeshift structures from whatever materials are available. As the United Nations highlights the sheer volume of housing loss, the Palestine Shelter Cluster continues to urge the removal of barriers to essential building supplies to mitigate the ongoing shelter emergency.
