Fuel shortage deepens suffering of Palestinians as winter weather bites

Humanitarian Challenges in Khan Younis

In Khan Younis, numerous residents are compelled to search through garbage dumps for plastic and paper, essential for starting fires to cook and maintain warmth during the harsh winter months.

The worsening winter weather has significantly increased the hardships faced by Gazans, many of whom reside in tents or damaged structures following recent conflicts. The option to purchase firewood is financially out of reach for most.

Aziz Akel, residing in a basic tent with his family, highlights this issue, stating, "Today, firewood costs around 7 to 8 shekels ($2-3) and we have no income." Each morning, Akel searches through waste in hopes of finding material suitable for fuel, which can mitigate costs.

Inside their tent, sustaining a fire is essential for cooking and warmth. The United Nations reports that at least nine children have succumbed to hypothermia this winter, prompting calls for urgent assistance.

Humanitarian organizations are advocating for the opening of more crossing points to facilitate the delivery of aid, including cooking gas and shelter materials. Despite the health risks associated with burning plastics and paper, families like Akel's have little alternative.

Fuel prices remain prohibitively high, with much of the supply limited to the black market. The International Committee of the Red Cross describes the severe cold and rainfall in Gaza as a "threat to survival."

Sanaa Salah, Akel's wife, describes their living conditions: "This is our life, no income, no money, no blankets, no winter clothes. We do not sleep at night from the cold."

The fragile ceasefire, which halted two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, remains in place. However, three months into the truce, the United Nations and its partners assert that the humanitarian crisis persists despite increased aid deliveries.

Based on reporting by Africanews.