UN teams race to shelter Gaza families before the rains as access to 65 per cent of land is restricted

30 September 2026

UN teams are racing to protect families in Gaza from the coming rainy season, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said. Partners have assessed three possible sites for temporary shelters and are examining more than 450 existing displacement sites at high risk of flooding. Those sites are home to about a fifth of Gaza's population. The main obstacle is restrictions on access to 65 per cent of Gaza's land, while the remaining 35 per cent is already overcrowded. Explosive ordnance must be cleared from new sites before voluntary relocation can happen at scale.