‘The bitter cold is approaching’: Gazans face tougher times in winter amid ongoing war

Winter has arrived in Deir al-Balah, and many parents are unable to find clothes or shoes for their young children in besieged Gaza.

The war, which began in early October, has greatly limited the number of clothing items able to enter the country, as temperatures begin to plummet.

Alia Al-Samoni, a displaced 21-year-old mother of three children, said that when she goes to the market in Deir Al-Balah there are no winter clothes available.

“Our lives now are very tragic. The bitter cold is approaching. I brought with me summer clothes for my children. There are no clothes or anything for the children to wear, and when I go to the market to search I do not find anything, even used clothes are not available”, she said.

After the war erupted on Oct. 7, Israel sealed off the besieged enclave. Weeks later, the first aid convoys were allowed to enter.

Winter clothes have been in short supply, with wind and rain now lashing the territory. About 1.9 million people have been displaced by the conflict, with many now forced into living in tents.

According to local shopkeepers, there is a huge demand for used clothing but little money to pay for it.

“We live in the streets, picking up old clothes to protect our children from the cold of winter,” Moneir Khweter, another displaced Palestinian, said.

“The occupation imposed forced displacement on us, and we left our entire homes and our property. We pick up old clothes to clothe our children and protect them from the cold of winter. We do not know what to do with this situation, and how long this situation will continue and how long this siege will continue?”.

According to United Nations calculations, around 80 percent of the 2.4 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip have been forced to leave their homes.