Rains flood thousands of displaced families’ tents in Gaza

What the report says

Heavy rain and the season’s first winter storm have flooded thousands of tents across Gaza, worsening conditions for displaced Palestinian families already sheltering in temporary camps. According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, crews received about 1,500 distress calls within 10 hours after rainfall began early Saturday, with water levels at some sites rising by 30 to 40 cm. Al Jazeera reported scenes of families wading through muddy water in camps in Gaza City, Khan Younis and Deir el-Balah, while mattresses, blankets and other belongings were soaked.

Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said some shelter centres were completely flooded and residents had been forced to leave. He warned that premature babies, older people and the sick were especially vulnerable. The storm also damaged buildings already weakened by the war in Gaza, which began in October 2023. Civil defence and local media reported partial collapses in the central Nuseirat area and in northern Gaza, with two people injured in one incident.

The flooding has highlighted the fragility of Gaza’s displacement sites, especially in coastal areas such as al-Mawasi, where large numbers of people are living in tents. Gaza’s emergency committee said more than one million displaced people face winter dangers and that large numbers of tents and heating supplies are urgently needed. Aid groups told Al Jazeera that shelter materials are still entering too slowly, leaving many families exposed as colder weather sets in.