A Palestinian man clears stagnant water from the road near a displacement camp after the first winter rainfall in Gaza City. AFP
Since Friday, torrential rains have drenched the makeshift camps where most of Gaza’s population has been forced to live as a result of Israel’s two-year-long genocidal war, which destroyed 92 percent of the strip’s residential buildings, either completely or partially.
Families now face winter in fragile tents that offer scant protection from the cold, wind, and flooding.
Across Gaza, residents reported water rushing into tents, soaking bedding, clothing, and the few possessions they have left. Many who remained in damaged homes—weakened by bombardment—now face the risk of collapse as rain leaks through shattered walls and roofs.
United Nations (UN) spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warned that “thousands of displaced families are now completely exposed to harsh weather conditions, increasing concerns related to health and protection.”
The flooding comes as humanitarian access to Gaza remains sharply restricted by the Israeli occupation.
Adnan Abu Hasna, spokesperson for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), told Ramallah-based news agency, WAFA, that Israel continues to block or limit the entry of relief items, exacerbating the suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced people.
He said Israel rejected around 23 requests to allow essential supplies into Gaza, including tents urgently needed. Israel also maintains strict control over 54 percent of the Gaza Strip, rendering many areas within the so-called “yellow line” inaccessible to aid workers.
Many of the tents no longer provide adequate shelter, according to Abu Hasna.
UNRWA has hundreds of thousands of blankets, mattresses, and tents—enough for a million people—but accessing these supplies is extremely difficult due to Israeli restrictions.
Abu Hasna described a health emergency unfolding in parallel with the harsh weather.
Gaza’s 2.2 million population, he said, is drinking water contaminated with nitrate and salt levels nine times higher than international standards. This has contributed to spikes in liver disease, meningitis, gastrointestinal infections, respiratory illnesses, kidney failure, and cancer.
According to UNRWA, 90 percent of Gaza’s population suffers from some form of malnutrition, while 16,500 patients require urgent treatment outside the strip, treatment they cannot reach because the crossings remain shut.
He added that unexploded ordnance scattered across Gaza poses another deadly risk, especially as rain shifts debris and exposes new hazards.
The United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said partners have “worked for weeks” to prepare for winter storms, deploying rapid-response teams across the strip.
Last Thursday alone, OCHA said aid groups distributed 1,000 tents to families in Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis. Between Sunday and Wednesday, humanitarian partners provided:
- 7,000 blankets to over 1,800 families
- 15,000 tarpaulins to more than 3,700 families
- Winter clothing for over 500 families
But these efforts remain far below what is needed for more than two million displaced residents enduring extreme deprivation.
Abu Hasna said the scale of destruction in Gaza is unprecedented. Entire cities, such as Rafah, have been completely wiped out, while others, including Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya, remain under bombardment despite the ceasefire.
“The scale of destruction exceeds UNRWA's capabilities, but the agency is ready to participate in the reconstruction effort with its vast experience,” he said.
As rain continues across the strip, thousands of families face nights in cold, soaked shelters, heightening the threat of disease and hypothermia, especially among children.
Humanitarian agencies warn that unless crossings are reopened and supplies allowed in immediately, winter will push Gaza’s already exhausted population deeper into disaster.
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