800,000 Gaza Residents Face Flood Risks Amid Humanitarian Crisis

Critical Situation in Gaza

In Gaza, 800,000 individuals, nearly 40% of the population, reside in flood-prone areas where winter storms and heavy rains have rendered shelters uninhabitable. Amina, a resident of Gaza, shares her struggles, stating that she spends her nights awake, hitting the tent above her to prevent it from collapsing under the weight of accumulated water.

"Our situation is extremely difficult, and we wish someone would help us, even by providing a tent for protection," Amina told the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) this week.

However, a recent Israeli decree has banned dozens of humanitarian organizations from operating, jeopardizing crucial assistance for millions of people threatened by rain, floods, and ongoing bombardments. This measure has been deemed by independent UN human rights experts as a violation of international law, stating that "this strategy will create conditions that force Palestinians into chronic poverty, threatening their survival as a group and violating the genocide convention."

Additionally, the OCHA report indicates that hundreds of tents and makeshift shelters have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving over 3,000 people exposed to severe weather. Moreover, more than 60 buildings in Gaza City are at risk of collapsing.

Furthermore, the Israeli military regime continues to be present in more than half of Gaza, restricting access to humanitarian aid facilities and agricultural land. Access to the sea remains prohibited for Palestinians, and Palestinian fishermen continue to be hunted and sometimes killed in the waters near Gaza.

On December 30, 2025, Israel banned 37 international non-governmental organizations from operating in Gaza and the West Bank, resulting in a blockade of nearly $50 million in essential humanitarian aid. In this dire situation, several individuals, including six children, have already died from hypothermia, drowning, or injuries caused by the cold. "There are no words to describe what Gaza has become," experts have stated.