Post by : Naveen Mittal

Photo: X / XHNews

Gaza’s Crowded Camps Push Families Back to Dangerous City

The situation for many families in Gaza is becoming worse every day. After fleeing the danger in Gaza City, some people are forced to return even though bombs are still falling there. Camps set up to help displaced families are too crowded. There is not enough space, water, tents, or health care. People say they feel trapped with no other choice but to go back to danger.

Why Families Left Gaza City

The violence in Gaza City increased after Israel’s military started attacking more parts of the area. The attacks came as Israel tried to rescue hostages taken by Hamas in October 2023. Since then, many civilians have been warned to leave the city. Israel has told them to go south to an area called Mawasi, which it calls a humanitarian zone.

Mohammed al-Sherif, 35, and his family left Gaza City after being warned by Israeli aircraft to leave or face danger. He and his relatives carried their belongings on a donkey cart because their vehicles had been destroyed and petrol was too expensive. After traveling for hours, they reached Mawasi but found no space to stay.

“We have been searching for a place for two days,” Mohammed said. “There is no tent, no shelter. We had to take our belongings and return to Gaza City.”

The Overcrowding Problem

Mawasi is already crowded with tents. Satellite images reviewed by experts showed that many areas were packed with tents before the latest wave of people arrived. The UN and other agencies say the camps have very little space left. The farmland that could have been used for growing food is gone. This shortage of food has made many families weak and hungry.

Other areas, like al-Shati camp near Gaza City, are also seeing more tents set up by families running from danger. Aid groups say this overcrowding is a serious problem that could lead to more sickness and suffering.

Traveling Inside Gaza Is Difficult

Most families cannot easily move from one place to another. Many roads are blocked, vehicles are destroyed, and petrol is too expensive. Some families carry their belongings on carts or by hand. Traveling long distances has become expensive and exhausting.

One family said it costs $600 to travel south with all their belongings and another $1,200 to buy a new tent. For most families, these costs are impossible to afford. Many are forced to leave behind their mattresses, cooking pots, and even clothes just to make the trip.

Aid Agencies Raise Concerns

UNICEF and other agencies are warning that the so-called humanitarian zone is not safe. They say there is not enough space for everyone and that basic needs like water and medical care are missing. Families are forced to camp along the roads or on poor land where disease and sickness can spread easily.

A UN group said, “The area is not ready for the number of people arriving. The services are not enough, and the situation is unsafe.”

Israel’s military spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nadav Shoshani said there is space and supplies available, and that the army is working on bringing more tents, food, and water. However, many families already in the camps say the help is not enough, and they fear violence among the overcrowded population.

Families Fear Violence and Starvation

The crowding in the camps has made life harder. People fight over space, and the lack of water makes it difficult to stay healthy. One man sitting in Mawasi said, “There is no place to live. People fight because there is nothing left.”

In Wadi Gaza, a man named Ahmed Abu Deya is returning north to Gaza City because his family has no shelter in the south. “We don’t even have water,” he said.

Aya Mohammad, 31, has a family of eight and lives in Gaza City’s Sabra district. After losing part of their home in an airstrike, she and her family fled last year but returned during a brief truce in January. They are now staying in Gaza City because they fear traveling to overcrowded camps.

The Root of the Crisis

The camps' overcrowding is not a new problem. The long-standing blockade on Gaza stopped materials like tents and building supplies from entering the area for months. Even after the restrictions were lifted, only a few supplies trickled in. This left many families without proper shelter.

Israel has shared maps and pictures showing areas where tents can be set up, but experts say these areas are far from help and close to dangerous places where fighting may continue.

UNICEF’s Tess Ingrams visited the camps and said, “There is very little space. Many families are forced to stay near roads where conditions are terrible.”

Life in Camps Is Hard

Raeda el-Far, a mother of small children, has been displaced five times. She now lives next to a rubbish dump filled with flies and street dogs. “End the war. It’s enough,” she said. “There is no safety anywhere.”

For families like hers, staying in the camps is dangerous and exhausting. Many are forced to choose between returning to the danger of bombs in Gaza City or staying in crowded camps where they risk hunger, sickness, and violence.

Conclusion

The crisis in Gaza is a reminder of how difficult it is for people caught in war to find safety. Families fleeing danger are forced into camps that cannot support them. With no land, water, or proper shelter, many have no choice but to return to the places they fled.

The situation is a test for governments and aid agencies to come together and find solutions that protect the lives of the most vulnerable. Until then, families like those in Gaza will continue to live between bombs and starvation, with no clear way out.