Gaza Strip – Severe weather, including powerful winds and torrential rain, struck the Gaza Strip on Saturday, causing significant damage to refugee camps and exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation. Makeshift shelters housing displaced families were particularly vulnerable to the storm’s force.
Reports indicate that numerous tents were either flooded or completely uprooted by the strong winds, leaving families, including young children, exposed to the elements. Residents struggled to secure their shelters against the onslaught, but the intensity of the storm proved overwhelming.
The region is currently under the influence of a polar low-pressure system, with wind speeds expected to reach up to 100 kilometers per hour, accompanied by heavy rainfall. Weather forecasts predict rainfall amounts between 20 and 50 millimeters, posing a continued threat to the fragile shelters and the safety of displaced persons.
Local authorities have warned of dangerously low temperatures and potential flooding due to the compromised infrastructure resulting from previous destruction. The municipality of Northern Gaza has declared the area uninhabitable and appealed for urgent international intervention to provide essential resources such as fuel, spare parts, and equipment for water wells, waste management, and sewage pumps.
Since the onset of severe weather earlier this month, at least 17 Palestinians, including four children, have reportedly died due to the harsh conditions. Civil defense sources estimate that approximately 90% of shelters housing displaced individuals have been affected by flooding. The storms have impacted over a quarter of a million displaced people, out of an estimated 1.5 million residing in tents and rudimentary shelters, according to government data.
DZWatch has also learned that several buildings previously damaged by Israeli strikes have collapsed due to the combined effect of rain and wind, forcing residents to seek refuge in unsafe and structurally unsound buildings.
