Influx of Displaced Palestinians in Rafah Exposes Dire Humanitarian Crisis
Recent satellite imagery has revealed a dire humanitarian crisis in Rafah, the southernmost region of the Gaza Strip. Over the past two months, an influx of displaced Palestinians has led to squalid and cramped living conditions for approximately 1.25 million people. The situation has worsened as the Israeli offensive against Hamas intensified in central and southern Gaza.
The satellite images, taken by Planet Labs, depict the scale of the crisis. In early December, large numbers of tents began appearing around official shelters, which had become overcrowded. As Israel repeatedly ordered the evacuation of large portions of central and southern Gaza, the number of tents and makeshift structures sharply increased across Rafah.
Rafah, with its limited indoor shelter space, has now become a city covered with plastic sheeting. The arrival of displaced people in recent weeks has led to the spread of tent camps throughout the approximately 25 square miles of Rafah. These impromptu encampments pose challenges such as a lack of electricity, clean water, bathrooms, and other basic necessities. Additionally, access to limited aid is more difficult in these areas due to the absence of official leadership or representation.
Aid agencies like the Norwegian Refugee Council have provided some displaced people with tents, but many have been forced to build their own or remain without any kind of shelter. Streets and open spaces are now filled with homemade structures and tents, which are unable to withstand the increasingly cold, wet, and windy winter weather.
The situation is particularly dire for those living in makeshift tent camps. While shelters for displaced people are protected under humanitarian law, at least 330 displaced people staying in U.N. shelters across Gaza have been killed since the war began. Those staying in official shelters are considered somewhat safer from Israeli airstrikes than those in tent camps.
Since December 1, the Israeli military has ordered civilians to evacuate from large areas of Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, resulting in an influx of displaced people into Rafah. By mid-December, Rafah was estimated to be sheltering over a million people, making it Gaza’s most densely populated area. With an additional 100,000 people pouring in, the region is struggling to meet the massive humanitarian need.
Rafah, already one of the poorest parts of Gaza, lacks the infrastructure to absorb such a huge influx of people. The number of people registered at shelters in Rafah has increased significantly, reaching 978,000 as of January 14. However, hundreds of thousands more are estimated to be staying in the region without registering with the shelter system.
The repeated displacements caused by Israel’s bombing campaign and ground invasion have made it difficult to accurately track the movement of people over time. With the majority of Gaza’s population displaced, aid groups and the U.N. have been struggling to keep up with the overwhelming demand for help in Rafah and across the Gaza Strip.
Even when aid is available, its delivery is impeded by exhaustive inspections by Israeli authorities, and aid trucks sometimes come under fire from Israeli forces. The dire situation in Rafah calls for urgent international attention and support to alleviate the suffering of displaced Palestinians and address the humanitarian crisis.
