Deluge and Destruction: Gaza Tents Flooded Amid Escalating Strikes

Heavy rains have inundated displacement tents across the Gaza Strip, compounding the already dire conditions for Palestinians as Israeli attacks intensify.

The Palestinian Civil Defense warned on Monday that the arrival of winter is ushering in “a real humanitarian catastrophe.” Thousands of forcibly displaced individuals have been severely impacted by flooding, prompting urgent calls for global intervention to deliver humanitarian aid to the struggling population.

The Gaza Government has reiterated its plea to the international community and humanitarian organizations to take swift action.

Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal highlighted the devastating impact of the recent rains, saying, “Rainfall has caused severe damage to tents housing thousands of displaced people, with water flowing inside the tents and damaging luggage and mattresses.”

“The current situation signals a real humanitarian catastrophe if immediate intervention does not take place,” he stressed.

The Gaza Government Media Office reported that “nearly 10,000 tents were swept away by seawater and damaged over the past two days.” It warned that the onset of winter and worsening storm conditions threaten the lives of “hundreds of thousands of displaced people in the Gaza Strip.”

In a statement, the office called for urgent humanitarian aid, saying, “We urgently repeat our call for immediate humanitarian aid to save hundreds of thousands of displaced people in the Gaza Strip before it’s too late.”

The big picture

Since October 2023, forcible displacement caused by Israeli military actions has surged, with the number of forcibly displaced individuals in Gaza now approaching 2 million. The statement accused “Israel” of committing crimes of forced displacement, stating, “These individuals have been displaced more than five consecutive times and are enduring harsh conditions imposed by the occupation.”

There are currently 543 shelter and displacement centers across Gaza. However, the Media Office reported that “81 percent of the displaced persons’ tents are now unusable,” with 110,000 out of 135,000 tents completely deteriorated. These tents, made of fabric and nylon, have been rendered ineffective by harsh weather and prolonged exposure to Gaza’s challenging climate.

“Gaza is facing a deep crisis and a real humanitarian catastrophe as winter sets in and the challenging weather conditions worsen. As a result, 2 million people will soon be left without any shelter, forced to live on the ground and under the sky because of the unusable tents and the closure of Gaza’s border crossings,” the office further warned.

The Gaza Government has urged the global community to pressure “Israel” into allowing the entry of 250,000 tents and caravans currently blocked by Israeli occupation forces. It condemned what it described as Israeli atrocities, including “forced displacement, mass expulsion, genocide, systematic killing, and forcing 2 million displaced people to leave their homes for unsuitable, unsafe, and inhumane areas with inadequate tents.”

Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal appealed to the United Nations and international agencies for immediate provision of tents and caravans to protect forcibly displaced civilians during winter.

450,000 Gaza refugees at risk in flood-prone areas: UN

The United Nations has raised the alarm over the dire conditions facing displaced families in the Gaza Strip as heavy rainfall causes flooding in multiple areas, exacerbating an already critical humanitarian crisis.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN, told reporters that preparations for the rainy season have been “severely restricted” due to challenges in delivering sufficient aid supplies into the enclave. On Sunday, flooding in Khan Younis and Gaza City damaged the tents and belongings of families already displaced by the ongoing Israeli genocide.

An estimated 1.6 million people—over three-quarters of Gaza’s population—are living in makeshift shelters, with more than 450,000 residing in roughly 100 flood-prone areas, including Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah, and Rafah.

While aid groups have installed sandbags at about 20 of these sites, Dujarric noted that for 90 percent of the flood-risk areas, no effective contingency plans exist if further flooding renders these shelters uninhabitable.

Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces issued new evacuation orders for Palestinians in Gaza City on Sunday, targeting al-Shujaiya and triggering another wave of forcible displacement. The orders come amid worsening humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.

Several thousand others remain missing, as authorities cannot determine their whereabouts. Many bodies remain stuck under the rubble or stranded in the streets, while others have been abducted by occupation forces. 

As the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip continues, Palestinian health authorities said that so far 44,235 Palestinians have been martyred and another 104,638 have been injured, since October 7, 2023.