Cornish Charity ShelterBox Calls for Help After Airstrikes Destroy Tents in Gaza

Cornish-based charity seeks urgent support for displaced families facing a second winter without homes.

ShelterBox Appeals for Support Amid Ongoing Gaza Crisis

The international disaster relief charity ShelterBox, headquartered in Cornwall, has renewed its urgent fundraising appeal to aid those displaced by conflict in Gaza and across the globe. The call for support comes as Gaza faces over a year of relentless conflict, leaving families without shelter and bracing for a harsh winter.

The renewed appeal follows the destruction of ShelterBox tents in a designated ‘safe zone’ in northern Gaza during an Israeli airstrike. These tents, part of a camp established by the Agricultural Development Association (PARC) and its partners, were providing refuge for hundreds before being reduced to rubble. Tragically, lives were lost, and survivors have once again been left homeless.

“Nowhere is Safe”

Sanj Srikanthan, CEO of ShelterBox, highlighted the devastating impact of the strikes:
“Safe zones are meant to provide refuge for families – offering a brief respite in a conflict where civilians are paying an unprecedented price. Yet this is one of many highly populated safe zones affected by airstrikes.

“Israeli military evacuation orders are forcing people to move from one unsafe place to another. Staying or evacuating is an impossible choice when nowhere is safe.

“The timing of our end of year appeal could not be more critical in raising much needed funds as we continue to work with our partners to reach more people with lifesaving aid.”

ShelterBox’s Lifesaving Work

Since late last year, ShelterBox has worked alongside local organisations like Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and PARC to provide emergency shelter, blankets, water carriers, and kitchen sets to thousands in Gaza. Among those helped is Salman, a father who has been displaced more than 15 times with his family.

“Being forcibly displaced from one place to another is an exile on its own,” Salman shared. “A process of torment, away from home, which is no longer there. My home has been destroyed and become a matter of the past.

“Being displaced means that you are homeless with all what it holds of pain and alienation. My children are segregated in different places. Everyone is scattered. We don’t know when we’ll be reunited, or how we’ll survive until we meet.”

Currently sheltering in a ShelterBox tent distributed by the Social Developmental Forum (SDF), Salman and his family have also received bedding, blankets, and other essentials.

An Unfolding Crisis in the Middle East

Haroon Altaf, Regional Director for Asia and MENA at ShelterBox, emphasised the scale of the devastation in Gaza:
“The crisis in the Middle East remains critically underfunded and there is still a severe lack of shelter. By supporting ShelterBox people can help families who no longer have a home.

“Gaza is unrecognisable. Almost all buildings have been damaged or destroyed, including houses, schools, and hospitals.

“The scale of suffering and devastation is immense. Lives have been completely shattered and now on top of that people are facing a second winter being entirely homeless. In the Middle East, winters can be cold and wet. Without adequate shelter or basic items people may not survive.”

ShelterBox’s Global Reach

Beyond Gaza, ShelterBox is responding to other humanitarian crises, including:

• Supporting displaced families in Lebanon in partnership with Basmeh and Zeitooneh (B&Z).
• Providing relief in the Philippines following extreme weather.
• Assisting those affected by conflicts in Mozambique, Somalia, Chad, and Cameroon.

Founded in 2000, ShelterBox specialises in emergency shelter for communities devastated by disaster or conflict. Funds raised through its end-of-year appeal will help support its work globally.

To learn more about ShelterBox’s fundraising appeal or its international efforts, visit shelterbox.org.