Winter Floods Devastate Displaced Camps in Gaza Amid Israeli Aid Blockade

Devastating Floods in Gaza Camps

A torrential downpour this weekend has severely affected the Gaza Strip, inundating displaced camps with approximately 10 cm of water as Palestinians struggled to stay dry in fragile, worn tents. These individuals have been displaced due to Israel's genocidal war, which has destroyed much of the besieged enclave.

In Khan Younis, damp blankets and flooded mud ovens have added to the residents' misery. Children, wearing sandals, navigated through puddles while adults desperately used shovels and cans to remove water from tents or save collapsed shelters from the mud. "Puddles formed and there was a terrible smell," stated Majdoleen Tarabein, displaced from Rafah. "Our tent blew away. We don’t know what to do or where to go."

Her family attempted to manually dry soaked blankets. "When we woke up in the morning, we found that water had entered the tent," added Eman Abu Riziq, also displaced in Khan Younis. "These are the mattresses. They are completely soaked."

At least 15 people, including three infants, have died this month from hypothermia due to the rains and low temperatures, according to authorities in Gaza. Emergency workers have warned against staying in damaged buildings due to the risk of collapse, but shelter options are limited as much of the land lies in ruins following relentless Israeli bombings.

UN estimates from July indicate that nearly 80% of buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged. Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began, 414 individuals have been killed and 1,142 injured, while the total number of Palestinian deaths has reached at least 71,266, according to the Health Ministry.

Humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza remain significantly below the amounts stipulated in the ceasefire, with humanitarian organizations reporting severe shortages. The Israeli military authority responsible for humanitarian aid stated that 4,200 trucks of assistance entered Gaza last week but refused to specify the quantity of tents provided. Aid groups emphasize that current supplies cannot meet the overwhelming needs of the population.

“People in Gaza are surviving in fragile, flooded tents and among ruins,” stated Philippe Lazzarini, the UN Commissioner-General for Refugee Aid. “There is nothing inevitable about this situation. Humanitarian supplies are not allowed to arrive at the necessary scale.”