Since 7 October 2023, the ongoing hostilities in the Gaza Strip have led to the displacement of at least 1.7 million people who are seeking refuge in various shelters across Gaza and are in dire need of basic humanitarian assistance.

To help, UNOPS is procuring and delivering essential non-food items – blankets, foldable mattresses, pillows, bed sheets and plastic mats – with savings under the Shelter Reconstruction Project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through KfW Development Bank.

At least 2,500 kits are expected to be delivered to around 15,000 people, mostly women and children. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is supporting the delivery of items.

On 23 January, a convoy of 15 trucks will be crossing through Rafah from Egypt to the Gaza Strip carrying the essential items. The convoy, which traveled from Cairo, includes 660 bedding kits that were loaded onto the trucks last week and will be distributed inside Gaza. Another 14 trucks are expected to enter Gaza in the coming days.

This delivery of items is part of the coordinated UN response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.