Gaza Families Still Struggle Despite Ceasefire Promises

A Ceasefire on Paper Only: Daily Life in Gaza Hasn't Caught Up

Since the ceasefire took effect in October 2025, official reports have pointed to real gains: more food entering Gaza, expanded hospital capacity, falling prices. But for families displaced in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, the ceasefire has not translated into the basics of a dignified life. Humanitarian access inside Gaza remains heavily restricted, assistance is falling due to funding shortfalls, and civilians have continued to be killed while conducting every day's life activities. The gap between what is announced and what reaches people is where DRC teams operate every day.

Ahmad* and his family have been displaced more than 15 times since the escalation of the conflict. Each move meant leaving more behind.

Mohammad*, a 77-year-old retired teacher who spent more than three decades in classrooms across five countries, now lives with his family in two small tents in Palestine Camp. He described queuing before dawn for water that never stretches far enough and losing the certificates that represented a lifetime of work in a second displacement.

"I never imagined that, at this stage of my life, I would be living in a tent without the most basic conditions for a dignified life."

When aid can't move, local solutions do

Both families recently received something that didn't depend on a shipment crossing a border: household items built inside Gaza, from materials already there. A local enterprise, supported by DRC's partner organization, the Palestinian Housing Council, is repurposing humanitarian wooden pallets into storage cabinets and food boxes for displaced families.

Ahmad received one of the cabinets.

"We live in a tent, and my wife, my children, and I all have clothes that need protection. It will keep them safe from dust and dirt while creating more space inside our small shelter. Although it is a simple item, it is far better than having nothing."*

Mohammad received a food storage box, made through the same local initiative.

These aren't stopgaps dressed up as solutions - they're proof that Gazan enterprises, workers, and materials can meet real needs right now, without waiting on a crossing to open or a shipment to clear. Every cabinet and food box produced supports local jobs and keeps scarce materials in circulation inside Gaza, rather than depending entirely on what is allowed in from outside.

What's still missing

Neither family's needs end with a piece of furniture. Ahmad's family still needs safe shelter, water storage, and hygiene support. Mohammad's family still needs healthcare, medicine, and clean water - he described sometimes having no choice but to use water not intended for drinking.

"My first request is for this war to end. We have lost our homes, our loved ones, and our sense of security. We are exhausted from repeated displacement. We simply want to live in peace again."

A ceasefire on paper has not yet meant an end to the daily struggle to survive it. Until access improves, our approach is twofold: continue pushing for the unhindered delivery of aid that the ceasefire promised, and back the local enterprises and knowledge already helping families like Ahmad's and Mohammad's get through each day.