Heavy rainfall overnight from November 6 to 7 triggered widespread flooding across displacement sites in Gaza, collapsing damaged buildings and destroying tens of thousands of makeshift shelters.
Local authorities confirmed the tragedy at the Al Berka Reservoir. We found that three tents were covered completely after the mountain collapsed on top of them. People were under the rubble and we couldn’t see them,
said Sohaib Abu Darbali, a witness, to Reuters.
Initial reports indicate that a sand dune has collapsed onto two families sheltering in a displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, leaving several people trapped beneath the sand. The incident occurred following heavy rainfall across the central Gaza Strip this evening.… pic.twitter.com/cXvfgFyjkU
Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal reported that civil defence units received 2,166 distress calls in total. They could only respond to 218 due to overwhelming demand, after initially logging about 1,500 calls in the first 10 hours.
Ahmad Alhendawi, a regional director for Save the Children, stated, Over the weekend, while families slept, water flooded their tents and engulfed entire camps.
Gaza’s Government Media Office reported about 70,000 worn-out tents sheltering displaced families were flooded on the first day of the storm alone.
🇵🇸 'This is not life': Rain heaps more woe on displaced Gazans Heavy rain has flooded tens of thousands of displaced Gazans' tents in the war-devastated territory, according to Palestinian authorities, leaving them without shelter. Displaced families have been fleeing their… pic.twitter.com/0UfHN3YoCy
Humanitarian organizations stated that more than 150,000 tents purchased by aid partners and member states are waiting just outside Gaza. That total includes about 117,000 tents from the Egyptian Relief Committee in Al-Arish.
Jan Egeland asserted that tents and tarrapulins are not the answer to Gaza’s winter.
Ahmad Alhendawi added that shelters, kits, and fuel remain stranded at the borders because Israeli authorities block their entry.
This weekend, a massive winter storm battered Gaza. Our teams report that thousands of tents were damaged or destroyed. Strong winds tore away makeshift shelters, while families waded through centimetres-deep floodwaters as rain soaked their few remaining belongings. People… pic.twitter.com/K57YmpiHxq
Aid groups and international officials blamed Israeli restrictions for blocking the entry of prefabricated shelters, tarpaulins, heavy machinery, vacuum trucks, dewatering pumps, and engine oil.
The Board of Peace stated that measures taken ahead of the storms remained insufficient. They called on the Israeli government to immediately authorize and facilitate the entry of winterization supplies.
At WCK, no tool has only one purpose. Families in Gaza are bracing to face another winter living in tents. Rising tides can mean cold seawater can make its way into the tents of people sheltering along the coast. That's why WCK is working closely with our local partners at the… pic.twitter.com/saWpXuU5Tv
The Israeli foreign ministry argued that Hamas should have invested in infrastructure rather than weaponry. They posted on X that Hamas doesn’t get to escape responsibility every time it rains.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that more than 26,000 households submitted appeals regarding damaged shelters and belongings.
Assessments indicate that over 6,000 family shelters were destroyed and 17,400 damaged. That left more than 3,900 households with no shelter at all.
At least 55 learning spaces serving roughly 55,000 children were flooded. Damage to health facilities forced some medical teams to suspend services, while 66 latrines were destroyed and 618 damaged.
Heavy rains are flooding displacement sites across Gaza. Tents have collapsed, children are wading through contaminated water & families are losing what little they have.@UNmigration is working to help, but needs far exceed available resources. https://t.co/y2zEW1JeRR pic.twitter.com/LfFwUtIdFk
UN Deputy Special Coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov noted from Ramallah that while rain could not be prevented, more protection is urgently needed since most residents live in worn-out tents.
Mansour al-Sakni, a 33-year-old living on a building roof in Gaza City’s al-Tuffah neighbourhood, described selling two water barrels so his family could purchase new tarpaulins, only for the shelter to flood anyway. Have mercy on us,
he pleaded.
Heavy rains have flooded tents and shelters across #Gaza, affecting over 2,000 displaced families in 113 UNRWA emergency shelters and making already dire living conditions even worse. UNRWA teams are: ➡️ Assessing the damage; ➡️ Identifying urgent needs; ➡️ Clearing blocked… pic.twitter.com/0CBGCtcSRJ
Khatib, another resident, told Middle East Eye that parts of their walls and floors began giving electric shocks while lights and phone chargers failed during the downpour.
Reflecting on the deteriorating conditions, displaced resident Yousef stated, Now winter means suffering. I haven’t known warmth since Oct. 7, 2023.
Salma, sheltering in Al-Mawasi, added, Maybe what’s happening now might entertain people outside who are bored and want to read a sad story.
Aid workers like Layla from Islamic Relief noted that families panicked as storms soaked bedding and raw sewage mixed with floodwater.
Site Management Cluster partners utilizing the Zite Manager platform provided by the International Organization for Migration coordinate emergency responses. They provide drainage enhancements and shelter kits despite severe operational limitations and damaged road infrastructure.
Earlier coverage: Heavy Rains Flood 70,000 Tents in Gaza, Al Jazeera Reports
