A powerful winter storm has brought devastating flooding to multiple displacement camps throughout the Gaza Strip, worsening the ongoing humanitarian crisis for thousands of families forced from their homes.
According to a press release from Gaza’s Civil Defense, camps in several areas—including the al-Mawasi zone in Khan Younis, the Bassa and Baraka neighborhoods of Deir al-Balah, the Central Market area of Nuseirat, and both the al-Yarmouk and Port districts of Gaza City—have been fully submerged by rain and storm-driven water.
Emergency teams have responded to more than 2,500 distress calls from residents reporting that tents and makeshift shelters were badly damaged or swept away entirely by the storm’s force. Authorities also warned of weakened structures at risk of collapsing under the severe weather, creating additional danger for families already living in fragile conditions.
Civil Defense officials said many displaced residents have been forced to flee repeatedly as rising waters spread across different parts of the Strip, with tents offering virtually no protection from cold, rain, and strong winds.
Officials appealed for urgent international intervention, calling for the entry of temporary housing units to replace worn-out tents that fail to provide minimum shelter standards. Children, in particular, remain vulnerable to illness as temperatures drop and heating materials remain scarce.
Meteorologists predict the storm will intensify throughout the day, bringing heavier rainfall, tightening cold weather, and more powerful winds—heightening fears of further displacement, health risks, and additional casualties among Gaza’s already struggling displaced population.
