Already uprooted by war, Gaza families now face floodwaters and freezing conditions

Heavy rain turned temporary camps into flooded, unsafe places to live. Displaced families lost dry shelter and had to leave camps in Gaza City and central and northern Gaza. The emergency matters because families already living through war now face cold, soaked belongings, injuries, and disease risks.

The Hamas-run government media office said about 70,000 tents were flooded on the first day of rain. Civil defence received more than 1,500 overnight calls for urgent help. Um Muhammad al-Hersh said her family could not save its mattresses and that all their clothes were soaked. Dozens of cracked walls and roofs also collapsed, causing injuries, some critical.

Civil defence said it was operating without equipment or capabilities and appealed for international help. Palestinian organisations warned that flooding could spread diseases and epidemics. Families therefore remain exposed after the storm, with limited shelter, rescue capacity, and basic services available.

A displaced person is someone who has been forced to leave their home but remains within the affected territory or country. In Gaza, displacement is linked to the war that began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Families whose homes were destroyed or became unsafe have gathered in temporary camps and tents.

The article describes Gaza as war-devastated and says people need heavy machinery to remove rubble from destroyed homes and buildings. Mustafa Qazzaat said Gaza urgently needs 200,000 prefabricated homes. He also said Israel has not allowed such homes to enter since the ceasefire began and has permitted only limited numbers of tents.

This leaves families dependent on fragile shelters through winter weather. The rain showed why that matters: tens of thousands of tents flooded, belongings were soaked, and families asked where they would sleep. Until safer housing and infrastructure arrive, displacement remains an ongoing emergency.

The emergency is enormous because flooding affected temporary shelters across several parts of Gaza. The Hamas-run government media office reported that about 70,000 tents sheltering tens of thousands of displaced people were flooded on the first day of rain. Hundreds of families were seen fleeing inundated camps.

The pressure extended beyond flooded tents. Civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said teams received more than 1,500 calls overnight from residents seeking urgent assistance. The agency was operating without equipment or capabilities, making it difficult to answer requests. Dozens of cracked walls and roofs also collapsed, causing injuries, some critical.

These figures show both the scale of damage and the strain on emergency services. Palestinian organisations warned that hundreds of thousands of residents face threats from flooding, disease, and epidemics. The need now includes rescue, dry shelter, heating, and supplies, while Gaza also needs 200,000 prefabricated homes.

When shelter, bedding, and clothing become soaked, families lose the basic protection needed to stay warm and sleep safely. Children are especially vulnerable because they depend on adults for dry clothing, warmth, and a secure place to rest. In Gaza, families already face crowded temporary shelters and continuing displacement.

Um Muhammad al-Hersh said her family could not save its mattresses and that all their clothes were soaked. Maryam Odeh said her children asked where they would sleep that night, but she had no answer. Khaled al-Najjar said families feared the cold and widespread diseases, as well as flooding. These accounts show how water quickly becomes a shelter and health crisis.

The article does not give specific illness totals after the storm. It does report warnings about disease and epidemics, plus injuries from collapsing walls and roofs. Without dry shelter, heating, and effective rescue equipment, families remain exposed whenever rain continues or temperatures fall.

Ordinary rain becomes far more dangerous when people lack solid homes, clear roads, electricity, and heating. The article describes Gaza as war-devastated and says homes and buildings have been destroyed. Families therefore live in tents, while emergency teams struggle to reach them and provide help.

Mustafa Qazzaat said heavy machinery is urgently needed to remove rubble, open main roads, and provide electricity and heating. These needs reveal the mechanism: rubble and damaged infrastructure limit movement and services, while temporary tents offer little protection from floodwater. The article does not specifically state that drainage systems were destroyed, so that detail cannot be confirmed from the text.

The ceasefire has not restored normal living conditions. The Israeli army continues airstrikes and ground operations almost daily, according to the article. With limited tents, no permitted prefabricated homes, and weak emergency capacity, future rain can again displace families and increase risks of injury, cold, and disease.

Humanitarian supplies and rescue resources are difficult to provide because the article describes restrictions and severe operational shortages. A Palestinian coalition called for pressure on Israel to allow humanitarian aid to enter without restrictions. Gaza officials said prefabricated homes had not been allowed since the truce, while only limited numbers of tents entered.

The shortage is not limited to shelter. Mustafa Qazzaat said Gaza needs heavy machinery to clear rubble, open roads, and provide electricity and heating. Civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said his teams were operating without equipment or capabilities after receiving more than 1,500 calls. This leaves responders unable to meet the emergency at its full scale.

The article does not identify every border procedure or explain all reasons for delays. It does state that Israel continues operations and has restricted prefabricated homes and limited tents. Palestinian authorities and organisations are calling for immediate international action, more aid, machinery, shelter, and rescue capacity.

Infrastructure is the system that helps people stay safe during ordinary hazards. Homes provide shelter, roads let rescuers reach families, and electricity and heating help people cope with cold. When war destroys or weakens these systems, rainwater can overwhelm temporary camps and turn a weather event into a humanitarian emergency.

In Gaza, about 70,000 tents flooded on the first day. Civil defence received more than 1,500 calls but said it lacked equipment and capabilities. Qazzaat said heavy machinery was needed to clear rubble and open main roads, while Gaza urgently needed electricity and heating. Cracked walls and roofs collapsed, causing injuries, some critical.

The effects spread beyond immediate discomfort. Families lost mattresses and dry clothes, children lacked a clear place to sleep, and residents feared cold and widespread diseases. Palestinian organisations warned of disease and epidemics. Without safer housing, functioning services, and stronger emergency capacity, future storms could produce the same or worse consequences.