‘Helpless’: The families facing winter in tents on the beach in Gaza

What the report says

Families displaced in southern Gaza are bracing for winter in makeshift tents along the beach near al-Qarara port in Khan Younis, according to Al Jazeera. The report describes how people such as Anas al-Shami and Ibrahim Abu Tair are living in fragile shelters close to the sea after being forced from homes in eastern Khan Younis, with overcrowding and high rental costs leaving them little choice but to stay exposed to wind, rain and swelling waves.

The article says some families fear a repeat of last winter, when seawater and rainfall flooded tents and soaked bedding and belongings. Residents interviewed by Al Jazeera described damaged mattresses, damp conditions and ongoing concern for children’s health. The piece also places these accounts in the wider context of Gaza’s displacement crisis, with many families still unable to access safer shelter.

One local response highlighted in the report is a makeshift seawater barrier made from damaged cooking pots filled with soil and stacked near tents. The effort is being organized by the Mayasem Association, which works with World Central Kitchen, and was originally developed to protect the group’s own facilities before being adapted for displaced families. Al Jazeera notes that this is only a temporary fix amid broader shortages of tents, caravans, fuel and construction materials.