Heavy rainfall and strong winds have flooded nearly 70,000 tents and temporary shelters across the Gaza Strip, leaving thousands of displaced Palestinian families without adequate shelter as the war-torn territory faces another humanitarian crisis.
According to an Al Jazeera report published on Sunday, November 8, heavy rain and strong winds began sweeping across Gaza on Friday night. The adverse weather has inundated makeshift shelters housing thousands of Palestinians who were already displaced by the war.
The Gaza Government Media Office said the rainfall damaged numerous tents, while sections of walls and roofs collapsed in several areas. Several people were injured, some of them seriously.
Gaza's Civil Defence Department said it had received at least 1,500 emergency calls requesting assistance after floodwater entered tents and temporary shelters. The department warned that more than 2,000 buildings were at risk of collapse because of the storm.
According to the department, at least 300,000 tents are needed to accommodate displaced and affected residents. Thousands of Families Face Worsening Conditions Al Jazeera correspondent Ibrahim al-Khalili, reporting from Gaza City, said the makeshift tents were unable to protect residents from severe weather. Just a few hours of rainfall and strong winds damaged numerous shelters, soaking mattresses, pillows and clothing.
Around 400,000 displaced people are staying in areas vulnerable to flooding, he reported.
Another Al Jazeera correspondent, Ashraf Abu Amra, reporting from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, said families whose shelters had been damaged by flooding had received no food assistance since Saturday morning. Rescue Operations Hampered by Fuel and Equipment Shortages Municipal authorities and Civil Defence officials in Gaza said shortages of fuel and essential equipment were making it difficult to drain floodwater and carry out rescue operations.
Jonathan Veitch, UNICEF's Special Representative for Palestine, said most people in Gaza were living in extremely difficult conditions. He stressed that additional funding was needed to deliver emergency assistance.
The Gaza Government Media Office estimated that the storm had caused damage worth around $3 million.
However, humanitarian organisations have continued to face various obstacles in delivering relief supplies and assistance to the territory.
A coalition of Palestinian civil society organisations warned that flooding had placed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people at risk. It also raised concerns about the possible spread of diseases and epidemics.
The organisations called for international pressure on Israel to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza without restrictions. Dispute Over Temporary Housing and Construction Materials Mustafa Qazaat, an official with Gaza's municipal authorities and emergency management committee, alleged that Israel had not allowed prefabricated housing units to enter the territory for displaced residents, despite the announcement of a ceasefire. He said only a limited number of tents had been permitted to enter.
According to Qazaat, Gaza urgently needs 200,000 prefabricated housing units. He added that heavy machinery is also required to clear rubble, reopen major roads and restore electricity and heating supplies.
COGAT, the Israeli Defence Ministry body responsible for coordinating aid activities in Gaza, did not immediately comment on the allegations. Reconstruction Efforts Remain Stalled Israeli attacks have caused extensive damage to homes and infrastructure across the Gaza Strip, forcing most residents from their homes and into temporary tent shelters.
Although reconstruction was expected to begin following the implementation of the ceasefire, little progress has been made. Discussions over Hamas's disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces remain deadlocked, holding back reconstruction efforts.
Al Jazeera reported that approximately 950,000 displaced Palestinians are living in areas vulnerable to flooding across Gaza.
With adverse weather threatening already fragile shelters and essential services, continued rainfall could trigger an even greater humanitarian disaster in the territory.
