ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The foreign ministers of eight Arab and Muslim countries issued a joint statement Friday voicing “deep concern” over the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, citing severe weather, shortages of aid, and continued restrictions on access to relief.

The statement, signed by the top diplomats of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt, expressed their "deepest concern regarding the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, which has been exacerbated by severe, harsh, and unstable weather conditions, including heavy rainfall and storms, and compounded by the continued lack of sufficient humanitarian access."

The ministers said heavy rain and storms have exposed the "fragility" of conditions facing nearly 1.9 million displaced people, many of whom are living in flooded camps, damaged tents, and unsafe shelters.

They warned that exposure to cold, malnutrition, and poor living conditions has "significantly heightened risks to civilian lives," especially among children, women, the elderly, and people with medical needs.

They praised the work of United Nations agencies, particularly UNRWA, and international aid groups, but demanded that Israel allow them to operate in Gaza and the West Bank “in a sustained, predictable, and unrestricted manner,” stressing that “any attempt to impede their ability to operate is unacceptable.”

The ministers called on the international community to pressure Israel to lift restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, including shelter materials, medical assistance, clean water, fuel, and sanitation support.

They also reaffirmed support for UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan, saying these efforts aim to secure a lasting ceasefire, end the war in Gaza, and open a path toward Palestinian self-determination and statehood.

The warning comes as severe winter weather has worsened conditions for displaced families in Gaza. In mid-December, flooding and heavy rain across theStrip over the killed at least 11 people in one day.

Heavy rain and strong winds since Thursday night flooded hundreds of displacement tents, particularly in the Khan Younis and Rafah areas in the south, while dozens of tents were blown away.

At least one child, identified as Malak Rami Ghanem, died from extreme cold while sheltering with her family in a displacement tent in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, amid a lack of heating and adequate medical care.

Gaza’s civil defense said that the extreme weather conditions have exacerbated the humanitarian situation, including leading to the collapse of buildings previously damaged by Israeli strikes, warning of more casualties due to shortages of rescue equipment.

Officials also warned that damaged infrastructure, poor drainage, and the continued displacement of families into unsafe shelters have increased the risk of flooding and further loss of life, as many families remain in overcrowded and poorly equipped temporary shelters.

On Tuesday, the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom issued a Joint Statement on the Gaza Humanitarian Response, voicing “serious concerns about the renewed deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza which remains catastrophic.”

The move was followed by Israel refusing access to the Gaza Strip for NGOs including Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam, and the Norwegian Refugee Council on account of the fact they refused to provide Israeli authorities information about their Palestinian employees.