UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations (UN) has warned that the refugee population in Gaza faces deteriorating humanitarian conditions, with widespread overcrowding, unsafe shelters and severe shortages of basic services almost two years after the conflict began.
Speaking at a news conference in Geneva this week, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, quoting the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said some 1.7 million Palestinians, about 80 percent of Gaza's population, now live in more than 1,600 displacement sites under extreme pressure.
He said civilians continued to be under threat despite the ceasefire that came into effect on October 10, 2025, with shootings, shelling, air raids, and bombings still reported across the region, reported by Daily Sabah (25/6).
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, thousands of people have been killed or injured since the ceasefire began, underlining what UN officials described as the continued deterioration in the protection of civilians.
Dujarric also highlighted a recent report from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) which confirmed the death of a 17-year-old girl, a Youth Champion, who died while on her way to take her high school exams.
He also reiterated the UN's call for the protection of civilians, especially children, at all times.
Conditions inside the evacuation site remain dire. The new assessment found that more than 59,000 shelters accommodate more than 8 people in each place, while about 38,500 people sleep in the open. About 600,000 people lack access to reliable drinking water.
Sanitation and safety risks are widespread. Nearly half of all sites have no visible drainage, and about the same proportion report fire hazards near shelters.
Rat infestations were recorded at around 80 percent of the locations, while open drains and garbage piles were found in more than half of them.
Current aid partners are only able to operate in around 500 of more than 1,600 locations, with limited repair work completed in far fewer locations.
At nearly 250 locations, which host around 250,000 people, there are also reportedly unexploded ordnance, adding another layer of danger for refugee families.
The UN says the crisis is rooted in the protracted war that began in October 2023, which has left Gaza's civilian infrastructure in tatters and triggered mass displacement.
According to UN estimates, reconstruction needs could reach tens of billions of dollars, with most housing, water systems, hospitals, and schools damaged or destroyed.
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