Gaza Floods Leave Hundreds of Thousands of Displaced Palestinians Without Shelter
(MENAFN) Gaza’s Health Ministry has called for immediate humanitarian assistance after severe flooding left approximately 350,000 displaced Palestinians without proper shelter, forcing many to spend the night outdoors.
Munir al-Bursh, director-general of the ministry, made an urgent appeal on Sunday for tents and other essential shelter supplies, warning of the dangers facing vulnerable families as harsh weather continues to affect displacement sites.
“Is the world waiting for our children to freeze?” he said, calling for swift measures to protect children living in temporary shelters.
Al-Bursh also urged authorities to open border crossings to allow tents and reconstruction materials into the territory. He stated that thousands of tents remained stranded at the crossings because the Israeli army was preventing their delivery into Gaza.
The worsening weather has also resulted in deadly incidents. A woman and four children were killed on Sunday after a landslide struck tents housing displaced families in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, according to the Civil Defense. Several other people were injured, while rescue teams continued looking for individuals reported missing.
Gaza has been hit by heavy rainfall and powerful winds since Friday evening, causing widespread damage to already fragile shelters and infrastructure. The Government Media Office reported that around 70,000 tents had been flooded, while dozens of walls previously weakened by Israeli bombardment collapsed during the first 12 hours of the storm.
The Civil Defense had also warned on Saturday that entire displacement camps were underwater, with flood levels reaching as high as 1.5 meters in certain locations.
The destruction caused by Israel’s war on Gaza, which began in October 2023, has left large parts of the territory devastated, including residential buildings and essential infrastructure. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been forced to seek refuge in makeshift shelters that offer limited protection against severe weather.
Restrictions imposed by Israel on the entry of construction materials, emergency shelter supplies and equipment needed for reconstruction have remained in place despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.
Munir al-Bursh, director-general of the ministry, made an urgent appeal on Sunday for tents and other essential shelter supplies, warning of the dangers facing vulnerable families as harsh weather continues to affect displacement sites.
“Is the world waiting for our children to freeze?” he said, calling for swift measures to protect children living in temporary shelters.
Al-Bursh also urged authorities to open border crossings to allow tents and reconstruction materials into the territory. He stated that thousands of tents remained stranded at the crossings because the Israeli army was preventing their delivery into Gaza.
The worsening weather has also resulted in deadly incidents. A woman and four children were killed on Sunday after a landslide struck tents housing displaced families in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, according to the Civil Defense. Several other people were injured, while rescue teams continued looking for individuals reported missing.
Gaza has been hit by heavy rainfall and powerful winds since Friday evening, causing widespread damage to already fragile shelters and infrastructure. The Government Media Office reported that around 70,000 tents had been flooded, while dozens of walls previously weakened by Israeli bombardment collapsed during the first 12 hours of the storm.
The Civil Defense had also warned on Saturday that entire displacement camps were underwater, with flood levels reaching as high as 1.5 meters in certain locations.
The destruction caused by Israel’s war on Gaza, which began in October 2023, has left large parts of the territory devastated, including residential buildings and essential infrastructure. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been forced to seek refuge in makeshift shelters that offer limited protection against severe weather.
Restrictions imposed by Israel on the entry of construction materials, emergency shelter supplies and equipment needed for reconstruction have remained in place despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.
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