DaysofPal- Severe winter weather has flooded hundreds of tents sheltering displaced Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, further worsening the humanitarian crisis facing more than one million people forced from their homes amid a suffocating Israeli siege that prevents aid and shelter equipment from entering Gaza.
Heavy rainfall and strong winds swept the enclave from Thursday night into early Friday, inundating roads and displacement camps, particularly in the Al-Mawasi areas of Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza.
The storm caused widespread flooding, while powerful gusts tore down tents, leaving families exposed to freezing temperatures and rain.
Local sources reported the death of a young child as a result of the extreme weather. Malak Rami Ghoneim, who was living with her family in a displacement tent in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, died after suffering from severe cold during the storm.
Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal said successive winter storms have triggered the “humanitarian disasters” across Gaza.
He noted that heavy rains have led to the collapse of buildings already weakened by Israeli airstrikes, posing serious risks to displaced families sheltering nearby.
Bassal called for the urgent entry of caravans and mobile housing units that meet basic humanitarian standards and can be placed in safer areas away from unstable structures. He emphasized that immediate international intervention is necessary to support displaced families and initiate the reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure.
He also warned that Civil Defense crews are struggling with a severe shortage of rescue equipment, limiting their ability to respond to emergencies, including people trapped under collapsing buildings.
Separately, Ismail Al-Thawabta, head of Gaza’s Government Media Office, said the extensive damage to Gaza’s infrastructure has significantly increased the risk of a large-scale humanitarian catastrophe.
He warned that continued heavy rainfall, strong winds, potential flash flooding in low-lying areas, and water accumulation near valleys and drainage channels are compounding the crisis.
Al-Thawabta said conditions remain “extremely difficult and complex” for displaced families, particularly as many continue to live in makeshift shelters lacking basic necessities amid ongoing military operations and their aftermath.
Aid groups estimate that more than one million displaced Palestinians remain without adequate shelter to protect them from rain, wind, and cold, as restrictions continue to delay the entry of reconstruction materials, including caravans and prefabricated housing.
As winter intensifies, hundreds of tents have been submerged in standing water, leaving thousands of families, especially children, women, and the elderly, exposed to harsh conditions that pose an immediate threat to their health and survival.
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