Severe Storms and Heavy Rains Threaten Lives of Displaced Families in Gaza
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, severe rainstorms and gale-force winds have wreaked havoc across the Gaza Strip, submerging refugee tents in multiple areas and sparking grave concerns over the survival of hundreds of thousands of displaced families facing harsh new weather fronts.
The Palestinian Ministry of Women’s Affairs expressed deep alarm over the repercussions of the recent weather system, stating that widespread flooding in camps and shelters has exacerbated the suffering of families, particularly women and children. In an official statement, the ministry stressed that the plight of displaced women is not a temporary emergency, but an escalating humanitarian catastrophe threatening their lives and undermining their ability to protect their children.
The ministry urged international and humanitarian organizations to urgently provide rain-resistant tents, waterproof coverings, blankets, and winter clothing, prioritizing vulnerable groups such as widows, female-headed households, injured women, pregnant women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. It emphasized the urgent need to relocate tents away from low-lying areas, floodplains, and coastal zones to secure locations equipped with proper drainage networks, warning that delays in relief operations will further heighten humanitarian risks.
Palestinian Minister of Health, Majed Abu Ramadan, warned that the unfolding disaster extends far beyond a typical winter crisis. He noted that thousands of tents are submerged without safe shelter, urging the global community, the United Nations, and aid agencies to act immediately to save hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians from potential disease outbreaks and deteriorating environmental health standards.
The unstable weather also caused a four-story residential building on Al-Mahkama Street in central Gaza City—previously damaged by Israeli military strikes—to completely collapse. Hosni Muhanna, spokesperson for the Gaza Municipality, reported that the storm has not only destroyed and displaced thousands of tents but threatens to cause flooding across 270 districts and refugee camps throughout the city.
Muhanna noted that the congestion of one million citizens and displaced people within less than 30 percent of Gaza’s territory has dramatically elevated the potential for severe flooding and public health crises. Meanwhile, Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim stated that Gaza is drowning in rainwater, emphasizing that the enclave represents a crucial test for human conscience, Islamic solidarity, and international responsibility, and called on the Arab and Muslim world to end their silence.
Hazem Qassem, a spokesperson for Hamas, described the ongoing disaster as a stain on the international community for remaining silent amid the blockade imposed by the Israeli regime, calling on mediators to pressure the occupation authorities to allow housing equipment and humanitarian aid into the territory.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) also warned in a statement that the worsening plight of displaced persons at the onset of winter highlights the dire conditions of over two million residents, urging international bodies to halt Israeli obstacles blocking reconstruction and aid delivery. Families and children continue to use basic improvised tools to drain water from their flooded shelters.
The Gaza Civil Defense and Emergency Services reported receiving over 1,500 emergency calls since early morning, confirming that refugee camps across all governorates are submerged. Although part of a building in the Nuseirat camp collapsed due to the storm, emergency crews successfully evacuated the residents, while local officials urgently appealed for international tents and relief provisions.
