Since the October 10 ceasefire, the UN migration agency IOM has sent more than 47,000 relief items, including 2,500 tents, to help families rebuild amid the devastation.

“The people of Gaza have suffered unimaginable losses,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope.

The shelter “is not a luxury”

“Shelter is not a luxury; it allows families to rest, stay warm and begin to rebuild their lives. Every person deserves to live in safety and dignity, and humanitarian aid must reach everyone, everywhere.”

Shelter needs are dire: an estimated 90 percent of the population has been displaced and at least 1.5 million people are in urgent need of emergency shelter assistance.

“Many people are returning to find their homes reduced to rubble,” Pope added, warning that recovery “cannot begin without safe housing.”

Despite the ceasefire, customs delays, insecurity and limited crossings continue to hamper the delivery of aid. IOM has pre-positioned millions of relief items in nearby Jordan, including 28,000 additional tents and more than four million items of winter supplies, ready for rapid deployment once access improves.

A million meals a day

At United Nations headquarters in New York, deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said the United Nations and its partners are expanding food, nutrition and water services under the United Nations’ 60-day response plan.

“Our partners now distribute more than one million hot meals daily across the Strip.” he said, adding that six UN-supported bakeries have resumed bread production.

There are now more than 150 nutrition centers operating throughout Gaza, supported by 20 mobile health and nutrition teams (twice as many as before the ceasefire). “This week alone, partners delivered enough therapeutic food to treat 1,200 children suffering from acute malnutrition,” said Mr Haq.

Water and sanitation support is also expanding: hundreds of thousands of diapers, jerrycans and hygiene kits have been distributed, and 140 new water tanks have been installed to expand community access points.

Limited crossing points

Aid continues to enter through the two operational crossings, Kerem Shalom and Kissufim. On Wednesday alone, 127 UN-coordinated trucks were collected for distribution within Gaza, transporting food, tents, medical supplies and fuel.

Mr. Haq emphasized that “more can and should be done“, encouraging Israel to open additional crossings, especially to the north, and to facilitate access for NGOs.

“We need full, safe and unrestricted humanitarian access,” he said. “The needs are immense and increasing day by day.”