UNRWA warns Gaza families paying thousands to flee amid blockade
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UNRWA warned that Palestinians in Gaza face unbearable displacement costs, with families paying thousands for transport and shelter amid famine, fuel shortages, and blocked aid access.
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Displaced Palestinians walk through a tent camp in Muwasi, an area that Israel has designated as a safe zone, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has raised alarm over the extreme hardship facing Palestinians in Gaza City as they struggle to flee ongoing Israeli assaults.
According to the agency, families are being forced to shoulder staggering costs simply to escape bombardment, with expenses reaching as high as $3,180.
UNRWA explained that this figure breaks down into $1,000 for a taxi, $2,000 for a single family tent, and $180 for a plot of land.
Humanitarian collapse
The soaring costs reflect a deeper collapse of humanitarian conditions. Over the past month alone, more than 250,000 people were newly displaced from Gaza City during intensified Israeli raids, part of a broader wave of mass displacement across the enclave.
Fuel stocks have run dry after the closure of key entry points, while northern Gaza has officially slipped into famine.
With the Zikim crossing shut on September 12 and Karem Abu Salem crossing operating at only partial capacity, aid convoys are unable to meet even minimum needs.
At the same time, UNRWA shelters themselves are under fire. Between September 11 and 16, eleven agency-run facilities housing around 11,000 displaced people were damaged during bombardments, leaving shelters dangerously overcrowded or destroyed altogether.
Read more: Gaza residents report exhaustion amid relentless Israeli strikes
For families with no income after nearly two years of war, securing even basic shelter has become impossible.
"After nearly 2 years of war people have not had incomes. Let us bring in our aid," UNRWA pleaded, renewing calls for an immediate ceasefire and for humanitarian access to be restored.
