27% of families in Gaza live in homes that are hazardous to their health.
“My children wish the winter season never comes. It is the season of suffering because of the condition of our house,” says Um Yasser, whose children would wake up in the night to rain dripping on them. Every year winter brings misery for over 8,000 families like Um Yasser’s in Gaza. Living in hazardous and inadequate homes, they struggle to keep warm and safe.
“Our windows were shattered by shelling and we couldn’t repair them,” she adds, describing her home with its tin sheet roof and cracked walls. Um Yasser’s anxiety increased every year with the onset of winter – she dreaded her home being flooded and her children falling ill again. But she could not afford the repairs since her husband and eldest son are too sick to work and she cannot find a job.
Islamic Relief repairs damaged homes like Um Yasser’s in time for the winter season. From fixing roofs and repairing toilets, securing windows and improving electrical wiring, we make sure homes are habitable and safe.
We also provide essential items like furniture, hygiene kits, school stationery, mattresses, blankets, pillows, gas heaters and stoves through our annual winter survival programme. Islamic Relief’s winter survival programme helps families get though the most difficult time of year in Gaza.