300,000 displaced people in Gaza seek safe shelter: UNDP

Displaced Palestinian families in Gaza. Photo collected

About 2,000 buildings in Gaza face a severe risk of collapsing, leaving roughly 300,000 displaced residents searching for proper shelter, according to Jaco Cilliers, special representative for the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People at the UNDP.

Speaking in response to reports that approximately 100 people are missing beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Gaza City, Cilliers described the situation as tragic, expressing sympathy for families who have already lost relatives or whose loved ones remain trapped under damaged structures.

He warned that structures weakened by prior damage will continue to collapse as displaced residents seek dignified shelter to return to their homes, even when many buildings remain unsafe.

Cilliers said that while the UNDP is actively working to clear rubble, the agency urgently requires the right equipment and mechanisms to remove debris safely. He noted that damaged buildings require construction materials, restoration and engineering inspections before residents can safely re-enter, but extreme desperation is pushing people into hazardous situations.

Across Gaza, nearly 10,000 people remain missing under the rubble. Although clearing roads to enable humanitarian access remains the programme's primary focus, workers continue to recover bodies on a regular basis. Cilliers added that processes are underway to identify remains and ensure dignified burials observing religious customs.

With inputs from Al Jazeera via UNB