Why Gaza’s Displacement Sites Need Effective Management to Face Winter Challenges

In Gaza, displacement is a recurring, relentless reality. Over 90% of Gaza’s population is currently displaced, with families uprooted as often as every two months, fleeing violence with little more than the clothes on their backs. Yet, in this harsh cycle of forced movement, one crucial intervention offers a semblance of stability: site management.

As winter approaches, the urgency of establishing robust site management systems across Gaza cannot be overstated. Alongside our partner, the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC), we highlight how effective site management can mitigate the harsh realities faced by displaced families, particularly during the unforgiving winter months.

Winter in Gaza brings bitterly cold weather, that can fall to 6C. Families in Gaza are facing these conditions from tattered tents that lack any semblance of insulation. Access constraints have dwindled essential supplies and even tarpaulin to fix holes is nearly non-existent.

Many displacement sites in Gaza are on land that regularly floods, even after moderate rainfall. Stagnant water accumulates, soaking tents and belongings, creating health hazards, and eroding already undignified living conditions.

Essential winterisation items, blankets, mattresses, and warm clothing, are in critically short supply, leaving both children and adults further exposed to the cold and at even more heightened risk of illnesses.

The lack of lighting in displacement sites further exacerbates the winter challenges. Families navigate dark pathways at night, heightening fears of violence and accidents. Women report avoiding latrines after dark due to safety concerns, highlighting how the absence of basic infrastructure deepens insecurity.

Effective site management plays a pivotal role in addressing these challenges by streamlining coordination and ensuring that critical needs are met. In displacement sites across Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis in the middle area of Gaza, DRC and PARC are leading efforts to improve shelter conditions, distribute winterisation materials, and establish safer living environments.

Site management ensures equitable distribution of blankets, mattresses, and warm clothing, prioritising the most vulnerable. It also coordinates infrastructure improvements, such as installing drainage channels to mitigate flooding and setting up solar-powered lighting to enhance safety and accessibility. By fostering clear communication channels, site management connects displaced families to essential services, ensuring that aid reaches those who need it most.

Shelter is the cornerstone of winter resilience. However, in Gaza’s displacement sites, many shelters are makeshift structures pieced together with tarpaulins and scraps. These fragile homes offer little protection from the cold or rain. Overcrowding remains rampant, with 95% of sites housing multiple families in a single space, stripping away any sense of privacy or dignity.

Site management addresses these dire conditions by coordinating shelter repairs and distributing essential materials like tarpaulins and insulation. Additionally, by engaging local communities, site managers empower residents to undertake basic maintenance, fostering a sense of autonomy even amidst displacement.

Food insecurity is another pressing concern. Across displacement sites, families rely on sporadic aid distributions that often fall short of meeting their needs. In DRC and PARC managed sites in Deir al-Balah, for example, only 25% to 50% of residents reported receiving sufficient food. The reliance on purchased firewood for cooking adds to the financial burden, forcing families to make impossible choices between food, warmth, and other essentials.

Overcrowding and deteriorating living conditions exacerbate protection risks, with families reporting verbal and physical altercations as well as domestic violence. The lack of privacy within shelters further strains relationships, creating an environment of constant tension.

Site management offers a pathway to restoring dignity and reducing harm. By setting up safe spaces for women and children and ensuring adequate lighting and privacy within shelters, site managers create environments where residents feel safer and more secure.

The work of DRC and PARC demonstrates that even in the most challenging circumstances, effective coordination and community engagement can make a tangible difference. Site management is not just about logistics, it is about restoring hope and resilience to communities caught in the relentless cycle of extreme violence and displacement.

The challenges in Gaza’s displacement sites are vast, but a critical and holistic response to those can only happen with increased financial support from the donor community and empowering Palestinian civil society in Gaza to take the lead in managing displacement site.