25 November 2025 —  As temperatures drop and winter sets in, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns that the coming months could bring yet more suffering to families in Gaza already facing unimaginable hardship. With homes and infrastructure including hospitals destroyed, shelters overcrowded, and access to clean water, fuel, and electricity critically limited, hundreds of thousands of people are at risk of exposure to the cold. Last winter, the UN reported children and infants dying from hypothermia in displacement camps. IRC teams report that recent rains have already flooded makeshift shelters, leaving thousands exposed to wind and freezing nights. 

More than one month after a ceasefire agreement in Gaza took place, aid levels continue to be alarmingly low. Palestinians in Gaza need to see a major surge of humanitarian aid before winter conditions set in. Without urgent intervention, preventable deaths will rise sharply.

Bob Kitchens, IRC Vice President for Emergencies said

“Winter in Gaza brings with it a further struggle for survival for people who are reeling from over two years of violence. People are living in makeshift shelters, exposed to rain, wind, and freezing nights with little more than plastic sheets for protection. IRC teams are reporting that rains over the last few days have flooded the make-shift tents the majority of Palestinians are living in, with others living on the streets with no shelter. 13,000 families have been affected by the floods. We are deeply concerned that without a rapid increase in the availability of shelter support and health care coverage, preventable illnesses and deaths will rise. Every hour counts, without safety, shelter, and warmth, winter will turn a dire humanitarian emergency into an even greater tragedy.”

The IRC is distributing winter kits that include warm clothing to help prevent illnesses caused by cold weather. The IRC continues to provide emergency cash assistance to help vulnerable households meet their winter needs safely and with dignity. However, these efforts cannot meet the scale of need without immediate international action.

The IRC reiterates its call for all parties involved in delivering the US led plan for Gaza, to facilitate rapid at-scale and unimpeded humanitarian access to reach all those in need, particularly as the cold season threatens to deepen the crisis. At this time, shelter support is most critical to protect displaced Palestinians living in tents and the streets from the harshest winter elements.