Amman, Jordan, February 3, 2025 —  As dire winter conditions intensify across the Middle East, families in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria continue to face immense challenges to survive. Heavy rains, plummeting temperatures, and widespread destruction from ongoing hostilities have left millions dangerously exposed. Lack of adequate shelter, mounting health risks, and the daily struggle for warmth, heighten an urgent need for unimpeded humanitarian access, increased funding, and a lasting end to hostilities across the region, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns.

Gaza: Inadequate aid undermines survival, but ceasefire offers hope for scaling up humanitarian response

In Gaza, IRC medical experts link a surge in respiratory illnesses among children to harsh weather, cramped living spaces, and limited heating, leaving premature and low-birth-weight babies especially vulnerable. 

Despite efforts to provide winter essentials, severe fuel shortages continue to cause power outages that endanger patients and newborns in hospitals running on minimal generator capacity. The initial deliveries of aid following the January 19 ceasefire are the first crucial step to alleviating the immense suffering. It is imperative that these efforts continue to ensure affected populations receive essential resources, including fuel and medical supplies.

Sama, an 11-year-old child living in Khan Younis, said, “My family and I were flooded in our tent by heavy rains and had no blankets to keep us warm, so we sheltered in our car. With all my heart, I hope to have warm clothes to help me get through the winter.” 

Judy, a 9-year-old child in Khan Younis, adds, “My sister has asthma, and we’re all falling ill in this cold. We don’t have warm clothes or blankets to keep us safe.”

Faten Abu Mousa, IRC’s Child Protection Manager in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), said,

“Winter in Gaza has always been harsh, but this year’s suffering is beyond imagination for displaced families. They are finding it extremely difficult to access basic needs and secure winter clothing. Where winter clothing is available in the market, prices are beyond reach.”

Across Gaza, civilians are suffering the consequences of prolonged restrictions on essential aid such as food, medical supplies and clean water, now compounded by brutal winter conditions. To immediately scale up our humanitarian response the IRC calls on all parties to abide by the agreement and ensure the immediate removal of all security and bureaucratic obstacles to delivering aid across Gaza. 

Lebanon: Ceasefire reduces fighting, but humanitarian needs persist

Following the extension of the ceasefire agreement until February 18, Lebanon has experienced a significant drop in fighting. However, humanitarian needs, which were already high before the latest escalation, remain dire. Many people displaced by the conflict have returned to their areas of origin, but extensive destruction means that suitable shelter is often unavailable. Since the ceasefire began on November 27, 2024, at least 50 civilians have been killed by Israeli attacks, including those attempting to return to their homes in the south, according to the UN. Meanwhile widespread damage to infrastructure, humanitarian access restrictions, and destroyed livelihoods continue to place an unbearable strain on affected communities as they struggle to cope with the winter months.

The IRC’s health teams report increased demand at Primary Health Care Centers (PHCCs), treating cases linked to the cold weather, such as bronchitis, fever, and influenza. Due to an economic crisis that began in 2019, PHCCs often face critical medication shortages, as Government funding to the health sector has been cut by 40%, according to the Ministry of Public Health. In addition, currency devaluation has made it increasingly difficult to import medicines and equipment from overseas.  This situation has been compounded by the escalation in hostilities over the past year, forcing the closure of more than 50 medical centers due to damage and destruction. 

Zeina, a 30-year-old Lebanese mother of three in Baalbak, explained,

“Our home is partially damaged by recent escalations, and with no work in winter, we urgently need fuel, food, and winter supplies. When it rains, water leaks through the roof, making survival even harder for our children.”

Marwa, a 35-year-old Syrian refugee in Arsal, told us,

“We burn plastic to stay warm, but the fumes harm our children. My children’s shoes barely protect them, and we can’t afford fuel for heating, so we rely on blankets. Our children are out of school, and we struggle just to put food on the table.”

Syria: New Caretaker Government offers hope, yet humanitarian needs remain the largest on record 

In Syria, the end of the Assad-led government has marked the beginning of a new, potentially more hopeful chapter for the country. However, millions of people remain displaced across the country, and following more than 13 years of conflict and crisis, some 16.7 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance - more than at any other time on record.  

In the northwest, the IRC’s medical teams are witnessing increasing cases of influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI). Reflecting experience in Gaza, these trends are driven by inadequate and overcrowded camps—where more than two million people still reside—along with damaged infrastructure and limited heating. Meanwhile, conflict continues in the northeast of the country, where  shelling earlier this month damaged key water and power stations, leaving more than 400,000 people deprived of access to clean water and electricity. 

With 90% of the population in poverty, many simply cant afford to keep warm leaving families reliant on desperate measures, such as burning cardboard and other waste, or personal belongings—actions that can worsen their health  and still fail to provide adequate heat.

Hala*, a mother of five in northern Syria, said,

“My house lacks windows and doors and is not adequately insulated. When it rains, water seeps into the rooms, causing constant suffering. I try to cover the openings with plastic sheets, but the wind rips them away. The smoke from burning unsafe materials harms my 4-year-old, but we have no other source of heat. If we allocate all income for fuel, we go hungry.”

Fatima*, 35, living with her elderly parents and her orphaned niece, added,

"We warm ourselves with waste, cardboard, and whatever we can find to burn. We even burned our belongings to stay warm. I search through waste for anything I can find to heat my sick parents, but their condition is worsening due to the smoke, and I don't know what to do.”

While local communities and aid organizations are striving to scale up humanitarian assistance across the region, including the provision of blankets, heating fuel, winter clothes, and medical supplies, addressing the winter crisis requires concerted action to ensure: 

  1. A lasting end to hostilities and conflict: For displaced families to return to their homes and rebuild their lives crisis affected communities across Gaza, Lebanon and Syria require a lasting end to the violence.
  2. Increased funding: Without immediate financial support from the international community, critical gaps in assistance, particularly for shelter, heating, and medical care, will continue to grow.
  3. Unfettered humanitarian access: January and February are typically the coldest months in the region. It is critical that humanitarain organizations, like the IRC, are provided with unimpeded access for humanitarian goods and personnel to reach those in need as winter closes in across the region.

Without these urgent measures, families in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria—each included on the IRC’s Watchlist 2025 as countries facing the risk of worsening humanitarian conditions—will continue to pay the highest price of crisis. We call on governments, donors, and all parties to conflict to take swift, decisive action to ensure that the most vulnerable —children, older people, and the displaced—are protected through this harsh winter and beyond.

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