Humanitarian Organizations Report Majority of Gaza Population Trapped in Displacement Camps with Deteriorating Conditions

The Danish Refugee Council and Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee warn that 1.8 million people—86 percent of Gaza's population—remain displaced across 1,739 camps one year after the ceasefire, with no meaningful improvement in living conditions. The organizations report that Israel's expanding demarcation line, known as the Yellow Line, continues to restrict territory and prevent returns, while displacement sites lack safe water, sanitation, and adequate waste management, creating risks of disease and rodent infestation. Over 1,400 people have been killed since the ceasefire began, and psychological distress is widespread among displaced populations.

The displacement crisis reflects a pattern established after the October 2025 ceasefire, when residents initially attempted to move northward and rebuild in their original communities. However, Israel's continuously expanding internal boundary has progressively reduced accessible territory, with the demarcation zone now encompassing approximately 70 percent of Gaza's land area—a substantial increase from 58 percent at the ceasefire's start. This territorial contraction has trapped populations in makeshift camps lacking fundamental infrastructure.

Living conditions in these sites present compounding public health challenges. Sanitation systems have failed entirely in many locations, with sewage and waste creating pathways through residential areas and attracting rodent populations. Combined with limited access to potable water and severe overcrowding across nearly 1,740 separate sites, these conditions create environments conducive to disease outbreaks. The psychological toll of prolonged displacement without viable return prospects has contributed to acute mental health crises among the affected population.