Build First Five Gaza Darna Transitional Shelters

Great news! Thanks to your generosity, on June 9, 2026, five families moved into the first five Gaza Darna Transitional Shelters—marking a remarkable milestone in providing safe, dignified living. 

After spending months living in overcrowded tents, facing harsh living conditions, one family member described the moment she stepped into her shelter, "as if I had stepped into my home." 

Each Gaza Darna Transitional Shelter Unit (GDTSU) is a 45-square-meter transitional living space, approximately twice the size of a typical family tent. Designed by Rebuilding Alliance in partnership with an extended family in Nuseirat Gaza, each unit is constructed using structural steel posts, aluminum panels installed deep into the ground to keep the rodents out, a durable synthetic leather exterior, and a heavy-duty canvas wall covering, together with lockable doors and windows.

While not a permanent home, the Gaza Darna Transitional Shelter Unit provides families with a more durable, weather-resistant, and private living space than a tent. Each unit includes a private bathroom, a kitchenette, and living room and one private bedroom, offering displaced families greater dignity and improved living conditions while they wait for permanent reconstruction.

These units are quick to assemble, and will last 3–5 years before materials need replacement. We're really happy to learn from the families that the double layer construction along with careful airflow, keeps the shelter unit cooler than the outside air. 

• Haneen’s family is among the first beneficiaries of Gaza Darna. Today, Haneen and her family have a place they can call their own. For her, the shelter means her children can finally sleep comfortably, draw, play, and spend time together safely. It means having a kitchen where she can prepare meals for her family, a bathroom that doesn't require waiting in line.  Haneen shared: "Rebuilding Alliance’s shelter might be able to provide me, at the very least, with the privacy I once had before the war."

• "This home reminds me of my grandfather’s house in the refugee camp," said Nuha, another beneficiary. "It brings back a feeling of warmth, safety, and peace."

• Even as these five families celebrated moving into their own shelters, everyone voiced this important observation, "All families living in tents will need these shelters."

These first five shelters are only the beginning. Our next step is to work with one of Rebuilding Alliance's Community-Based Organization partners to develop a Gaza Darna Social Services Hub—a neighborhood that combines essential community services with Gaza Darna shelters for teachers, healthcare workers, social workers, and other essential care providers and their families.

We are also exploring a community financing model that could help extend the impact of every charitable donation. In the West Bank, Rebuilding Alliance partnered with Al Aqaba Village’s Housing Association to establish a revolving loan program that enabled families to improve their homes. We hope to adapt that experience for Gaza so that charitable contributions, together with family participation, can help many more families build transitional shelters over time.

These are early days. We still have much to learn. But these first five shelters demonstrate that, even under extraordinarily difficult conditions, practical solutions can be developed in partnership with the families who will live in them.

So many times at Rebuilding Alliance, we’ve moved our projects forward, knowing that donors will support our work. We budgeted carefully — and stayed within 10% of our budgeted goal for the construction itself.  But the infrastructure connection went over budget. 

• To overcome flooding, we needed to add truckloads of sand to raise their land above the floodplane —  and in addition, we added hook-ups to the Nuseirat sewer network, water network, and also the city electrical system. Water is provided on rotation, once a week, and though electricity is hard to predict, it is important to have this in place as things, hopefully, will begin to stabilize soon. 

Please consider making another donation to help realize our goal— this will give us the ability to pay the bills and remain in good standing with our supplier and construction contractors.  GlobalGiving’s Bonus Day is on July 15th and they will be matching donations to this project. Please mark your calendar and give that day.

We're happy to answer questions by phone or email. Suggestions appreciated!

Links:

• Gaza Darna Shelters: Rebuilding Lives
• Gaza Darna Shelter: Haneen's privacy restored
• Gaza Darna Shelter: Life is better for Yousef now