Geneva, March 12, 2025 – The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) has participated in the interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing during the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council, highlighting the catastrophic housing crisis in Gaza caused by Israel’s ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.

PRC emphasised that hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are struggling to survive amid harsh winter conditions, with no adequate shelter to protect them from strong winds and heavy rain. More than 1.8 million people are in need of emergency shelter and household essentials, as over 90% of Gaza’s homes have been destroyed by Israeli bombardment.

The devastation extends beyond housing, with 85% of water and sewage systems destroyed and only 51% of hospitals partially operational, exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe. The PRC has called for the urgent provision of at least 200,000 tents and 60,000 caravans to alleviate the suffering of displaced families trapped in Gaza’s besieged conditions.

PRC urges the UN Human Rights Council and the wider international community to take immediate action to address the dire needs of the Palestinian people, ensuring urgent shelter provisions and the restoration of essential infrastructure.

This came during an interactive dialogue under Item 3 of the UN Human Rights Council with Mr. Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing.