Gaza storms devastate tent camps

Torrential rains flooded hundreds of tent encampments across the Gaza Strip, worsening already dire conditions for families displaced by two years of war and killing an eight-month-old infant whose mother says water poured into their tent in Khan Younis. Medics reported the baby died of cold exposure; her grieving mother described finding the child cold and unresponsive after feeding her during the night. Civil defence teams received more than 2,500 calls for help as most temporary shelters were submerged and many residents spent the storm trying to clear water and mud with shovels.

Officials warned that municipal and emergency services were ill-equipped to respond because of fuel shortages, damaged equipment and the loss of hundreds of water-pumping vehicles during the conflict. Numerous tents collapsed or were ripped apart by strong winds, leaving children, the elderly and people with chronic conditions exposed to cold and rain. Residents improvised repairs using salvaged materials and iron rods pulled from bombed-out buildings to prop up shelters; some reported selling such scrap for a few dollars.

A U.N. assessment prior to the storm identified 761 displacement sites hosting about 850,000 people at high risk of flooding. U.N. and Palestinian authorities said roughly 1.5 million displaced people remain in need of durable shelter and appealed for at least 300,000 new tents immediately. Humanitarian groups warned that limited supplies of plastic sheeting, blankets and dry clothing, together with constrained access and security concerns, are hampering urgent relief efforts. Overflowing latrines and contaminated standing water raised fears of waterborne disease outbreaks, while medics cautioned that prolonged damp and cold exposure could trigger respiratory illnesses.

As the rains eased, displaced families surveyed damage and attempted to salvage belongings, but the scale of need was apparent: emergency crews are overstretched, and local officials said more durable shelter materials and unfettered humanitarian access are essential to prevent further loss of life and illness. The storm has underscored Gaza’s vulnerability to severe weather amid ongoing displacement, with aid agencies warning that without rapid, large-scale assistance and improved shelter solutions, each new storm risks deepening the humanitarian crisis.