Amman, Nov. 11 (Petra) -- Doctors Without Borders (MSF) called Wednesday for immediate entry of humanitarian aid and essential supplies into the Gaza Strip as winter begins, warning of worsening conditions for about two million people.
MSF said in a statement that shelter, fuel and medical supply shortages are deepening the humanitarian and health crisis. About 1.98 million people, or 94 percent of Gaza's population, face shelter conditions at crisis level or worse, according to Shelter Cluster estimates. More than 400,000 live in displacement sites at high risk of flooding.
MSF said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported in early October that about 44,000 people were sheltering in more than 2,300 buildings found to be unsafe. Families in worn tents or damaged buildings risk disease, injury and death, MSF said.
MSF said restrictions on the entry of shelter supplies continue. It cited the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) as reporting that Israeli authorities approved the entry of 36,960 pieces of wood and 660 sets of emergency shelter supplies in August, then refused their entry.
NRC also reported that Israeli authorities revoked the registration of 37 international humanitarian organizations in early 2026, including MSF, which blocked their supplies from entering Gaza.
An MSF briefing issued in October estimated the funding gap for providing and delivering essential winter supplies at about $186.6 million. The World Food Programme (WFP) announced that funding cuts will halt food and cash aid for 500,000 people and reduce daily hot meals from 250,000 to 150,000.
MSF said many families cannot afford blankets or cooking fuel, and some have cut their meals. A displaced mother at the Mawasi medical center told MSF her children urgently need food and warm clothes, with no oil, flour or basic food available. MSF reported a rise in respiratory illness among children. Some of its facilities recorded about 29,528 upper respiratory tract infections in January 2026.
Some families burn wood, plastic and waste inside their tents for cooking and heating because safe fuel is unavailable or too costly, MSF said. The smoke worsens breathing problems and raises the risk of burns. Roads flooded with water and mud, along with high transport costs, hinder patients from reaching health facilities.
On water and sanitation, MSF said shortages of water and soap make it hard to wash clothes and bedding and ease the spread of diseases such as scabies. Poor drainage, exposure to sewage and a lack of toilets raise the risk of infection.
MSF warned that fears of tents flooding at night, and the inability to keep children warm, add psychological pressure on families who have endured repeated displacement and the loss of loved ones and livelihoods.
An MSF mental health team member in Khan Younis said psychological support and coping-skills training have limited impact when a family lives in a tent with no safe shelter, covers, clothes or food.
MSF called on Israeli authorities to facilitate unhindered entry of essential aid into Gaza in the quantities needed, including rain- and wind-resistant tents, tarpaulins, wood, blankets, fuel, medical supplies, and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies. It also called on governments with influence over Israel to press for aid access and to provide immediate, flexible funding for the winter response.
MFS urged humanitarian organizations to coordinate their efforts on shelter, flood protection, food, health care, and water and sanitation, and to help families find safer ways to cook and heat their shelters.
//Petra// NQ
