Gaza Flooding Crisis: Thousands of Displaced Palestinians Face Winter in Damaged Tents

Some tent settlements were completely submerged with floodwaters reaching 40 to 50 centimeters above ground level in certain areas.

Gaza:

Heavy rainfall triggered extensive flooding across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, inundating thousands of tents housing displaced Palestinians who now face the harsh winter season without adequate shelter.

The vast majority of Gaza's 2 million residents have been displaced from their homes during Israel's two-year military campaign in the densely populated territory, which began following the Hamas attack in October 2023. Most of these displaced individuals currently reside in tents and makeshift shelters.

While a ceasefire has generally held since mid-October, the military operations have destroyed substantial portions of Gaza's urban areas and critical infrastructure, creating dire living conditions for most inhabitants.

"We're experiencing this suffering and rain - and the severe weather systems haven't even arrived yet. This is merely the beginning of winter, and we're already flooded and living in degrading conditions," Um Ahmed Aowdah explained outside her tent during Tuesday's downpour. "We haven't received replacement tents or tarps. Our current tarp and tent are two years old and completely deteriorated."

Amjad Al-Shawa, who leads the Palestinian NGOs Network, indicated there's an urgent requirement for at least 300,000 new tents to accommodate approximately 1.5 million people who remain unable to return to their homes.

According to the Palestinian Civil Defence Service, thousands of tents housing displaced families have been flooded or damaged by intense rainstorms over the past week.

In some coastal areas, tents were completely swept away as floodwaters rose significantly above ground level, while a field hospital was forced to cease operations due to flooding, according to medical personnel and witnesses.

The United Nations stated on Monday that despite efforts to deliver winter supplies to Gaza, the number of trucks permitted entry into the territory remains limited by Israeli restrictions on aid organizations.

Hamas-led authorities in Gaza claim Israel isn't allowing the agreed-upon amount of aid under the ceasefire agreement. Aid organizations report that Israel is blocking many essential items from entering.

Israel maintains it is fully complying with its obligations under the truce agreement and does not prevent aid from entering Gaza, suggesting instead that aid agencies have been inefficient in distribution or have failed to prevent Hamas militants from appropriating supplies. Hamas denies allegations of aid theft.