Heavy rains have flooded makeshift displacement camps across Gaza, submerging tents and belongings and creating a new crisis for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians already facing a dire humanitarian situation amid the onset of winter .
Recent downpours in Gaza have turned displacement camps into pools of mud and water, with floodwater seeping into tents and soaking the few possessions families have left . In some areas, water levels rose to more than 10 centimeters (3.94 inches), drenching mattresses and blankets and making movement nearly impossible . The situation is described as a "terrifying nightmare" for families, with many of the worn-out tents collapsing under the weight of the rain . One displaced man described the scene, saying, "We drowned in just five minutes of rain" .
The flooding exacerbates an already extreme shelter crisis. An estimated 90 per cent of Gaza's population is displaced, with at least 1.5 million people urgently requiring emergency shelter as winter approaches . The United Nations notes that there is an urgent need for hundreds of thousands of new tents, as the existing ones are fragile, worn out, and have been used by displaced people for the past two years . The head of the Palestinian NGOs Network stated that there is an urgent need for at least 300,000 new tents to house the roughly 1.5 million people still displaced from their homes.
Despite the overwhelming needs, aid delivery remains severely constrained. The UN and other aid agencies report that Israeli restrictions continue to hinder the entry and distribution of life-saving assistance, including winter supplies . While the ceasefire agreement stipulated that at least 600 trucks of aid should enter Gaza daily, only around 150 trucks have been entering each day . The UN Secretary-General's spokesperson has stated that "millions" of urgently needed shelter items are still stuck in Jordan, Egypt, and Israel, waiting for approval to enter the enclave . The UN has called for "full, safe and unrestricted humanitarian access" to meet the immense and growing needs .
With the cold weather setting in, the situation is becoming increasingly desperate. The flooding and cold compound the misery of children and the elderly, who suffer amid severe shortages of blankets, winter clothing, and heating . The UN warns that the worsening weather conditions are deepening an already dire humanitarian crisis for hundreds of thousands of displaced people . A displaced Palestinian woman voiced the fears of many, saying, "This suffering, this rain, and the low-pressure weather systems haven’t even started yet. It’s only the beginning of winter, and we’re already flooded and humiliated" .