Rain floods Gaza camps deepening displacement crisis
A boy stands in the rain in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Photograph: Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images
The heavy rain and winter cold are flooding Gaza’s tents, leaving displaced families struggling to stay dry and safe reported Al Jazeera, Middle East Eye and other agencies on 14 November.
Thousands of displaced people in Gaza are facing a crisis of heavy rain and cold winter weather flooding their tents and makeshift shelters which were already damaged by years of conflict.
The Gaza Civil Defence said water has reached more than 10 centimetres in some shelter areas, soaking mattresses and blankets. “There are no options left because every option has been destroyed by Israel,” said Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for the agency.
The Palestinian Civil Defence in Gaza has warned residents, especially the displaced, to take necessary precautions against potential destruction from the storm.
The Palestinian Meteorological Department issued warnings of flash floods in low-lying areas and valleys across the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, with strong winds, heavy rain, and thunderstorms expected over the coming days.
Adnan Abu Hasna, spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa) said, “approaching storm will have catastrophic consequences for displaced people in the Gaza Strip”.
Gaza’s government media office says 93 percent of all displacement tents are no longer suitable for living in which is 125,000 out of 135,000. Almost 1.9 million people which is almost 90 percent of Gaza’s population have been displaced since the fighting started.
One displaced man, Hisham Washah, described what happened to his shelter. “You can only imagine how much worse it would be if it rained for four hours. We were submerged in water after half an hour,” he told The National. “Look at how wet and dirty everything is.”
This is not the first time rain has caused problems for displaced people in Gaza. In December 2023, strong winds and heavy rain tore and flooded weak tents in camps, soaking clothes and blankets and leaving people shivering. Many shelters are very basic, made only of tarpaulins or thin plastic. Some families spent the night huddling on wet sand.
Aziza al-Shabrawi, a 38-year old mother, told Al Jazeera that the rain made her children’s suffering worse. “My son is sick because of the bitter cold and my daughter is barefoot. It’s like we’re beggars.”
Yasmin Mhani, who lost a child and all her belongings in the war, described waking to find her seven-month old baby soaking wet, while the family shared a single blanket.
Humanitarian agencies warn that as rain continues and winter gets colder, risks of disease, hypothermia, and more displacement will rise. Shelters are already fragile and overused, and they cannot handle heavy rain.
Without urgent help, including waterproof tents, tarps, blankets, and ground sheets, displaced families will continue to face both war and harsh winter conditions.
Middle East Eye, Al Jazeera, The National and Maghrebi.org
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