Families in Gaza are living in shattered mosques, tents pitched on rubble, and makeshift shelters stitched from scraps after more than two and a half years of war have left 92 percent of homes damaged or destroyed, according to the United Nations. Main Developments At least 850,000 people require emergency shelter assistance, lacking basic items such as plastic sheeting, rope and plywood, the Palestine Shelter Cluster reports. Continuing Israeli restrictions on the entry of critical materials needed to replace, repair and reinforce shelters are preventing humanitarian organisations from responding at the necessary scale. Families are erecting shelters wherever they can, pitching tents on the ruins of their houses, sealing off collapsing mosques with plastic sheeting, or stitching together makeshift structures from whatever materials are available. "Losing both work and housing have compounded the suffering of war," says Mu'ayyad Sa'id, a father of three living inside a destroyed mosque in Gaza City. Unemployed, he constantly struggles to provide for his family's basic needs. Read also: US Strike on Iran-Iraq Border Crossing Kills 2, Injures 11 Background The scale of physical destruction is estimated in the tens of billions of dollars, but the reality is measured in human terms: households without water or electricity; children sleeping in torn tents; and rodents breeding beneath nearby rubble. Shelter needs were already severe following a six-month blockade before the October 2025 ceasefire. Why It Matters The deepening shelter crisis compounds the suffering of a population already reeling from displacement, unemployment, and the destruction of essential infrastructure. Without urgent access to construction materials, families face a prolonged existence in unsafe, unsanitary conditions that threaten health and survival. What's Next Humanitarian organisations continue to appeal for the lifting of Israeli restrictions on critical shelter materials. The coming weeks will determine whether the ceasefire allows for meaningful repair and replacement of housing, or whether the crisis deepens further.