Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) said it has set up the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah in Gaza, as thousands of Palestinians displaced by the war grapple with harsh winter conditions brought by a cold and rainy weather system this week.
Fahad Al-Osaimi, the center’s director of emergency relief, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the camp is sheltering more than 200 displaced families, with the number of beneficiaries exceeding 2,000 women, children and elderly people whose homes and tents were damaged or destroyed by the war and recent weather conditions.
He said the center is currently operating under a rapid response mechanism to appeals received by its operations and emergency room in the Gaza Strip.
Al-Osaimi said two fully equipped camps were completed this week, and that preparations are underway to establish several additional camps in coordination with relevant United Nations agencies, based on assessed needs on the ground.
He said the camp is playing a critical role in providing refuge to hundreds of families whose tents were flooded or collapsed due to heavy rainfall, offering safer shelter that helps mitigate humanitarian risks, particularly for children, women and the elderly.
Al-Osaimi said the center’s efforts extend beyond emergency shelter, noting that work is ongoing to establish organized camps that meet international humanitarian response standards and to ensure they are supplied with essential services.
These services include blankets, shelter materials, clothing for women and children, sanitation facilities such as toilets, hygiene kits and cleaning supplies, in addition to other forms of relief assistance as needs arise.
He said the interventions form part of KSrelief’s sustained efforts to alleviate the suffering of displaced people in the Gaza Strip and bolster their resilience amid severe humanitarian and weather conditions.
The deteriorating weather has coincided with growing uncertainty over the future of the ceasefire agreement and the possibility of moving to its second phase. According to local and international organizations, living conditions for displaced people continue to worsen.
Against this backdrop, the establishment of the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah marks a fresh chapter in Saudi Arabia’s emergency response to Palestinians, particularly Gaza residents, since the outbreak of the war following Oct. 7, 2023, providing lifelines to more than 2,000 people facing mounting challenges.
