Clean Shelter Provides Lifesaving Resources for Thousands of Displaced People in Gaza

Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which ignited large-scale devastation in a region that has been simmering with conflict for decades, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis has become critical. Over a year later, about 1.9 million people (approximately 90% of Gaza) are internally displaced, with an estimated 345,000 facing severe food insecurity.¹

To help address the urgent need for aid, Tom Kellner, an Israeli, and Seba Salem Abudaqa, a Palestinian, founded Clean Shelter. The nonprofit organization provides essential sanitation and shelter solutions for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Gaza, particularly children, women-led families and people with disabilities. 

Kellner’s and Abudaqa’s work began in January 2024 as a small grassroots effort to collect donations for basic sanitary needs. They soon realized that many other people wanted to contribute, and in June 2024, turned the initiative into a registered organization. To date, Clean Shelter has built emergency shelters, toilets, community spaces and clean drinking water systems—including sustainable desalination units—that provide essential resources for tens of thousands of IDPs. The organization also manages the Mesk and Layan Camp in Al-Mawasi, which alone supports 700 families.

“The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is overwhelming, and while Clean Shelter cannot solve all its challenges, our work provides crucial support. Through our efforts, families can access safe shelter, clean water and sanitation facilities. These services are essential for rebuilding dignity and stability amidst the devastation, and Clean Shelter’s operations will remain critical for the foreseeable future,” Kellner and Abudaqa said.

Tapping into the power of collaboration across borders, Clean Shelter has partnered with Duke University in the United States to develop cost-effective, inclusive and sustainable shelter solutions that improve the quality and accessibility of aid. The founders were invited to speak at both Duke and Yale University in February 2025, which they hope will allow them to grow their impact by gaining wider recognition from international organizations. Clean Shelter was also nominated for the Change-Maker Award by NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change, a recognition that underscores the value of its work.

In 2025, Kellner and Abudaqa aim to expand their relief efforts so that Clean Shelter can help support at least 50,000 people. Their planned initiatives include: establishing a new camp serving 100 female-led households; partnering with Duke University to produce low-cost and easily-assembled tents using locally available materials; starting a waste management program; restoring partially destroyed homes to a livable state (after a ceasefire); and organizing a donation drive to distribute warm clothing and blankets to those in need.

To learn more and/or contribute to relief efforts in Gaza through Clean Shelter, please visit: Clean Shelter gUG – Humanitarian Social Innovations.

 

Source:

¹ United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. “Reported impact snapshot | Gaza Strip (8 January 2025)” https://www.ochaopt.org/content/reported-impact-snapshot-gaza-strip-8-january-2025