Winter in Gaza is a harsh season for hundreds of thousands of displaced people living in tents and temporary shelters. The United Nations reported that about 800 thousand people, nearly 40 percent of the population, live in flood-prone sites, and that nine people had died from the cold in the 2025-2026 season by 21 January 2026.
How many people are affected by winter in Gaza?
More than 1.9 million displaced people live in Gaza, and about 100 thousand families were hit by heavy rain, strong winds and low temperatures in December 2025. In early December only 14,600 tents reached 85 thousand people, leaving 1.3 million Palestinians without adequate winter shelter.
What risks do the displaced face in the cold?
- Tents and temporary shelters: hundreds of tents and temporary shelters were blown away or badly damaged, and more than 3,000 people were left without cover.
- Flooding: sandbags were placed at 41 displacement sites to protect against it.
- Cracked buildings: more than 60 occupied buildings in Gaza City are at risk of collapse.
- Children: six children died in December 2025 because of the harsh winter conditions.
What winter aid is arriving?
According to the latest United Nations announcement in December 2025, humanitarian bodies distributed:
- Monthly food parcels to more than 230 thousand families during November.
- More than 8,800 blankets and more than 300 tents, with plastic sheeting and mattresses.
- Cash assistance to about 123 thousand families since the ceasefire.
- 160 high-performance tents for educational activities.
What is the gap between need and aid?
The United Nations estimates that about 1.5 million people need urgent shelter support, while the supplies arriving cover only part of this need. The response includes tents, blankets, warm clothing, hot food and sandbags that protect sites from rainwater.
What about food and health in Gaza’s winter?
The United Nations provides about 1.6 million hot meals a day, and more than 860 thousand people have received food parcels since the start of January 2026. On the health side, the number of working health points rose to 234 from 197 before the ceasefire, but more than 18 thousand patients, including 4,000 children, are still waiting for medical evacuation to receive treatment not available in the Strip.
What is Qatar Charity’s role in Gaza’s winter?
After the ceasefire, Qatar Charity stepped up its interventions in shelter, food and water, and its aid reached hundreds of thousands of people. The total number of tents provided within Qatari aid through the Egyptian corridor reached 75,264 by mid-November 2025. Over two years of war the charity carried out 99 projects in Gaza that reached more than 5 million people at a cost of over QAR 243 million.
How can I help support the people of Gaza in winter?
You can take part through the donation page on the Qatar Charity website. You can also learn about the winter campaign in Gaza and Gaza’s needs in winter, and about the annual winter campaigns in The Winter Season: Goodness, Giving and Support for Those Affected.
Frequently asked questions about winter in Gaza
How many displaced people are in Gaza in winter?
UNICEF announced on 31 December 2025 that more than 1.9 million people are displaced in Gaza, that about 100 thousand families were hit by rain, wind and cold in December alone, and that children need blankets, plastic sheeting, safe water and psychological support.
Have people died from the cold in Gaza?
Yes. Nine people died from the cold in the 2025-2026 season by 21 January 2026, and more than twelve people, including infants, died the previous winter from hypothermia.
What are the displaced people’s most important needs in winter?
Tents, plastic sheeting, blankets, warm clothing, hot food and health care. The United Nations says about 1.5 million people need urgent shelter support, and that families first need tents, blankets and warm clothes.
