The Palestinians inside the Gaza Strip, already in a very dire humanitarian situation, have been hit with a major sand storm and heavy winds for the past two days. The storm especially affected the tens of thousands of Palestinians who lost their homes during last summer’s Israeli offensive which destroyed 18,000 housing units. Six months after the truce, many displaced Palestinians have been staying in shelters or damaged homes and are getting increasingly frustrated by the lack of rebuilding on the ground.

UNOCHA indicates that “although by early January 2015, nearly 40,000 individuals had been granted authorisation to purchase construction materials restricted under the Israeli blockade, less than 40 percent of them have actually purchased materials.” This is primarily due to financial constraints. According to UNRWA, 11,000 displaced Palestinians still live in schools, which are not equipped to face harsh weather conditions, nor host so many people for such a long period of time.

Read more and view gallery: IN PICTURES: Palestinians carry on despite latest storm – Middle East Eye