Approximately 2,000 structures across Gaza confront imminent collapse hazards, imperiling roughly 300,000 displaced inhabitants seeking adequate shelter, UNDP special representative for the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People Jaco Cilliers reported.

Addressing reports of roughly 100 individuals unaccounted for beneath debris following a Gaza City structure collapse, Cilliers characterized the crisis as tragic while offering condolences to families grieving lost kin or awaiting news of trapped relatives.

The UNDP official cautioned that structural fatigue from prior impacts will drive ongoing collapses as displaced populations rush back toward damaged dwellings in search of dignified refuge despite acute structural hazards.

While ongoing agency operations prioritize debris clearance for humanitarian roadway access, recovery teams regularly extract human remains alongside active identification protocols ensuring culturally respectful religious burials.

Cilliers emphasized that safe re-occupation requires certified engineering assessments, restoration, and structural materials, though severe destitution compels civilians into dangerous environments.

Operational scaling faces critical resource bottlenecks, with Cilliers highlighting an urgent deficit of specialized machinery and gear required for safe debris mitigation. Statewide estimates place missing persons beneath rubble aggregates near 10,000.

Source: Al Jazeera