After enduring months of Israeli bombardment, displacement and the destruction of their homes, tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are now confronting another devastating reality: even the makeshift tents sheltering their families cannot protect them from the winter rain.
Within just 12 hours of Gaza’s first winter storm, approximately 70,000 tents housing displaced Palestinians were flooded, leaving families surrounded by water, their bedding and belongings soaked, and already fragile shelters increasingly uninhabitable.
Gaza’s Government Media Office announced on Saturday that the initial direct losses from the storm had reached an estimated $3 million, warning that the humanitarian situation was deteriorating rapidly as heavy rainfall and strong winds threatened buildings already damaged by Israel’s military assault.
The disaster has exposed the consequences of Gaza’s widespread destruction, where displaced families have been forced into temporary shelters while damaged infrastructure, blocked drainage systems and severe shortages of emergency equipment leave entire communities vulnerable to flooding.
Entire Displacement Camps Flooded as Families Lose Their Remaining Belongings
The flooding has affected displacement camps across the Gaza Strip, from its devastated northern communities to densely populated areas in central Gaza.
According to Quds News Network, rainwater inundated tents near Gaza City’s port, as well as displacement sites in Jabalia and Beit Lahia in the north.
Further south, families sheltering in western Deir al-Balah and areas north of Nuseirat refugee camp also reported extensive flooding.
In many locations, water poured directly into tents, soaking mattresses, blankets and the few personal possessions families had managed to preserve through successive waves of displacement.
The shelters, frequently constructed from worn tarpaulins and deteriorating fabric, offer little meaningful protection against rain, wind or freezing temperatures.
For families who have already lost their homes, the flooding has destroyed what remained of their temporary living arrangements.
Conditions are particularly dangerous in areas where floodwater has mixed with sewage, exposing displaced residents to additional health risks.
Children, elderly Palestinians and people suffering from illness are among those most vulnerable to the deteriorating conditions.
Walls Collapse, Buildings Threaten to Fall as Rescuers Receive 1,500 Distress Calls
The storm has also created a serious structural danger across Gaza, where countless residential buildings remain weakened by previous Israeli bombardment.
Gaza’s Government Media Office reported that dozens of walls had collapsed under the pressure of heavy rainfall and strong winds, causing injuries of varying severity, including serious cases.
Authorities warned that dozens of other damaged buildings were at risk of collapse.
In northern Gaza, two Palestinians were injured when a wall belonging to a previously bombed building collapsed during the rainfall.
In Nuseirat refugee camp, Civil Defence teams evacuated residents from an apartment building after part of the structure gave way. No injuries were reported in that incident.
Meanwhile, in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood, the roof of a house collapsed, leaving rescue workers attempting to retrieve a person trapped beneath the rubble.
The danger extends beyond the structures that have already fallen.
Buildings weakened by the destruction of the war remain occupied by Palestinians who have limited alternatives for shelter, leaving residents exposed to further collapses as winter weather intensifies.
Emergency Services Overwhelmed by Calls for Help
Gaza’s Civil Defence announced that it had received more than 1,500 emergency calls from Palestinians whose tents and shelters had been damaged since the storm began.
Rescue officials reported that entire displacement camps had flooded, while emergency teams struggled to respond to the scale of destruction.
The situation has been made considerably worse by shortages of essential equipment, operational vehicles and fuel.
Civil Defence teams lack sufficient resources to pump floodwater from affected areas, address dangerous structures and provide assistance to the growing number of displaced families requiring urgent intervention.
Officials acknowledged that their teams were unable to manage the emergency alone.
Gaza’s Destroyed Infrastructure Turns Winter Rain Into a Humanitarian Emergency
The severity of the flooding cannot be separated from the destruction inflicted on Gaza’s civilian infrastructure during Israel’s war.
Homes, roads and drainage networks have suffered extensive damage, leaving many areas unable to cope with heavy rainfall.
With drainage systems damaged and water-removal equipment in short supply, rainwater accumulates around displacement camps and enters shelters that were never designed to withstand winter conditions.
The absence of adequate heating supplies, fuel and weather-resistant accommodation further compounds the suffering of displaced Palestinians.
Families are left sleeping in wet conditions, while the combination of cold weather, contaminated water and overcrowded shelters threatens to worsen an already severe humanitarian crisis.
The Government Media Office warned that the storm’s consequences would continue to intensify without immediate assistance.
Gaza Authorities Hold Israel Responsible for Worsening the Disaster
Gaza’s Government Media Office placed responsibility for the escalating humanitarian emergency on the Israeli occupation, citing the continued closure of crossings and restrictions preventing essential shelter and reconstruction materials from entering the territory.
Officials argued that these restrictions have left displaced Palestinians without the resources needed to protect themselves from winter conditions or repair the infrastructure destroyed during the war.
The shortage of basic shelter materials has forced families to remain in makeshift accommodation, while the lack of reconstruction supplies has prevented the restoration of damaged homes and essential services.
Gaza authorities called on the international community and United Nations agencies to intervene urgently, provide emergency relief and ensure that displaced families receive the protection and assistance they desperately need.
Within 12 hours, the storm flooded approximately 70,000 tents, caused an estimated $3 million in initial damage and triggered more than 1,500 emergency appeals.
The figures reflect a humanitarian emergency unfolding in a territory where widespread destruction, displacement and restrictions on essential supplies have left the population dangerously exposed to conditions that adequate housing and functioning infrastructure would ordinarily help withstand.
