HAMILTON, Canada 

The UN humanitarian office on Wednesday warned that the situation in the Gaza Strip remains "extremely dire," despite ongoing efforts by the UN and its partners to reach civilians across the territory where a ceasefire is in place after two years of Israeli war.

In a statement, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that "the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains extremely dire, despite ongoing efforts by the UN and its partners to reach people in need wherever they are."

Saying that "humanitarians continue to carry out assessments and provide assistance to families affected by last week's rainstorm," OCHA reported that "over 18,600 households were impacted."

Thousands of families "lost their shelters, had their belongings damaged, or were again displaced," the agency said, adding that the number continues to rise as assessments are completed.

"With winter drawing near, partners working on shelter warn that the volume of items entering Gaza is not sufficient to meet people's immense needs," OCHA said, stressing that since Sept., fewer than 60,000 tents, 346,000 tarpaulins and 309,000 bedding items have entered Gaza, even as hundreds of thousands urgently require shelter support.

OCHA reiterated its call for "items that are currently restricted from entry into Gaza, including equipment to rehabilitate critical infrastructure," to be allowed in.

It also re-emphasized "the need for NGOs to be permitted to bring assistance into Gaza, and for the opening of additional crossings" to ensure faster and more efficient aid delivery.