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After months of negotiations, ShelterBox aid is being distributed to people in rural parts of Gaza who have been made homeless by ongoing conflict.
Last summer, tensions in Gaza once again came to a head in what is known as the 50 day war. During this time, it was very difficult for humanitarian agencies to access the region, so providing clean water and medical aid became the main priority.
However, continued bombings, shootings and missile attacks have destroyed an estimated 100,000 homes, causing a housing shortage. Thousands of families have left Gaza’s cities for the relative safety of rural areas, triggering the need for accommodation and emergency shelter.
After six months of lengthy negotiations and patience, ShelterBox has now been able to start delivering aid to Gaza.
ShelterBox CEO Alison Wallace said: ‘At last ShelterBox can help the displaced families of Gaza. Our tent-based aid wasn’t appropriate in the war zones, but in outlying areas we can help families who have run from conflict and are seeking only basic shelter and safety.’
An initial 250 ShelterBoxes have been delivered and are currently being distributed to families by the Paris-based Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED), who ShelterBox regularly work with.
The first 20 ShelterBox tents have now been put up and a further 60 families in need of shelter have already been identified. ShelterBox will be sending 500 boxes in all, and the next batch will be transported to Gaza soon.
The ShelterBoxes, which contain gloves, hats and scarves as well as extra blankets, cannot come too soon as Gaza has been experiencing extreme weather conditions with snowfall, hailstorms and flash flooding in places.
The ShelterBox tents have also been designed with special ventilation, so that they will stay cool when the hot weather eventually arrives.
