Gaza floods worsen shelter crisis

Heavy winter rains swept across the Gaza Strip, flooding hundreds of tents and temporary shelters used by displaced families and worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis. In Gaza City and Khan Younis, floodwaters rose up to 40–50 centimetres in some areas, submerging poorly built tents, soaking mattresses and blankets, and forcing at least one field hospital to close temporarily. Displaced residents described chaotic scenes, spending nights bailing out water, holding torn tents together and digging shallow trenches that offered little protection.

The Hamas-run Gaza administration estimates storm damage at about $4.5 million, reporting more than 22,000 tents destroyed or severely damaged and spoilage of food and medicines. Local aid groups say some 300,000 new tents and emergency shelter kits are urgently required. The United Nations and humanitarian teams have been distributing tents, tarpaulins and basic supplies while assessing the full extent of the destruction, but officials warn that delivery and distribution are constrained by logistical and access challenges.

The flooding has amplified public-health risks in a densely populated area where sewage systems are damaged, clean water is scarce and many shelters lack proper drainage. Doctors and aid workers warned that damp, cold conditions could drive increases in malnutrition and infectious disease, particularly among children and the elderly. With winter beginning and many tents already worn thin after months of displacement since the October 2023 outbreak of conflict, hundreds of thousands of Gazans face exposure to the elements and heightened uncertainty.

Humanitarian agencies say the storms exposed the fragility of Gaza’s emergency shelter infrastructure and underscored growing needs for durable shelter, winter clothing, blankets and medical supplies. They urged rapid delivery of relief to prevent further deterioration in living conditions and to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks. The floods have reinforced concerns that, even where active hostilities have subsided, seasonal weather and shortages of shelter and services continue to deepen the humanitarian emergency for Gaza’s displaced population.