Gaza Floods Hit 70,000 Tents; Churches Urged to Act Now
(MENAFN) A Palestinian presidential panel appealed to churches around the world on Saturday to rush aid to Gaza and safeguard its houses of worship, as torrential rain pounded displaced families who have no secure shelter.
In an urgent statement, the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine requested food, drinking water, medicine, tents and winter supplies, with children, infants, the elderly and the sick to be served first.
The committee said roughly 950,000 displaced people are living in flood-prone areas, more than 400,000 of them at high risk.
Rainwater has leaked into Gaza City’s historic Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church, the committee said, stressing the need to shield places of worship and repair damaged religious and historic sites.
It argued that the destruction of Gaza’s churches is part of the broader devastation of Palestinian lives, homes and heritage. Christian communities, it said, share in the displacement and the loss of shelter and safety endured by the wider Palestinian population. Preserving the Christian presence in the Holy Land, it added, cannot be separated from defending Palestinians’ rights to life, freedom and dignity.
The committee called on churches to lean on their influence to push governments and international bodies to guarantee unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid, medical supplies and fuel. It also urged tighter coordination with church and relief groups inside Palestine to reach the hardest-hit families.
“Prayer for Gaza must be accompanied by action for its people,” it said.
Separately, the Palestinian presidency urged the UN Security Council to step in immediately to secure unrestricted aid access and international protection for Palestinians. It blamed Israeli attacks, the blockade and obstruction of aid for worsening the crisis.
Heavy rain and strong winds have lashed Gaza since Friday evening, flooding 70,000 tents and toppling dozens of walls, according to the government media office.
The war that began in October 2023 has wrecked homes and infrastructure across the enclave. A ceasefire has been in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, but continued Israeli restrictions on aid, shelter supplies and reconstruction materials have hindered relief work. More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed over the past three years.
In an urgent statement, the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine requested food, drinking water, medicine, tents and winter supplies, with children, infants, the elderly and the sick to be served first.
The committee said roughly 950,000 displaced people are living in flood-prone areas, more than 400,000 of them at high risk.
Rainwater has leaked into Gaza City’s historic Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church, the committee said, stressing the need to shield places of worship and repair damaged religious and historic sites.
It argued that the destruction of Gaza’s churches is part of the broader devastation of Palestinian lives, homes and heritage. Christian communities, it said, share in the displacement and the loss of shelter and safety endured by the wider Palestinian population. Preserving the Christian presence in the Holy Land, it added, cannot be separated from defending Palestinians’ rights to life, freedom and dignity.
The committee called on churches to lean on their influence to push governments and international bodies to guarantee unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid, medical supplies and fuel. It also urged tighter coordination with church and relief groups inside Palestine to reach the hardest-hit families.
“Prayer for Gaza must be accompanied by action for its people,” it said.
Separately, the Palestinian presidency urged the UN Security Council to step in immediately to secure unrestricted aid access and international protection for Palestinians. It blamed Israeli attacks, the blockade and obstruction of aid for worsening the crisis.
Heavy rain and strong winds have lashed Gaza since Friday evening, flooding 70,000 tents and toppling dozens of walls, according to the government media office.
The war that began in October 2023 has wrecked homes and infrastructure across the enclave. A ceasefire has been in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, but continued Israeli restrictions on aid, shelter supplies and reconstruction materials have hindered relief work. More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed over the past three years.
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