Palestinians using flour sacks for shelter, with 1.5 million in need of housing

Palestinians in Gaza are using rice and flour sacks to create tents, with about 90 percent of the population displaced and most homes destroyed by Israel, the United Nations' International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said.

“Shelter needs remain dire”, the UN said, noting that at least 1.5 million Palestinians are in need of emergency shelter as winter approaches. 

The agency said only 2,500 tents have been sent to Gaza since the ceasefire was announced earlier this month. Tens of thousands more tents are waiting for delivery in Jordan that could provide temporary shelter to as many as 168,000 people.

“With very few tents or tarpaulins available, some are using flour and rice sacks to shield themselves from the elements,” IOM said.