Gaza's Displaced Families Battle Floods as Winter Sets In

Gaza's first winter storm this season hit on 6 November, flooding camps. Five people, including three children, died when a sand embankment collapsed onto tents.

Civil Defence received 2,166 calls but could only respond to 218.

Years of displacement have pushed families into low-lying makeshift camps prone to flooding.

UN says Israeli restrictions on access to large parts of Gaza leave Palestinians with fewer options to relocate to safer ground.

Around 17 million displaced Palestinians remain in tents, makeshift shelters or damaged buildings.

Many tents are worn out after months of use. UNICEF says 121,000 tents are needed, but only 2,800 are in stock.

UN reported more than 150,000 tents purchased by humanitarian partners and member states were waiting outside Gaza, ready for entry. Israeli restrictions have limited the supplies available inside.

UNICEF says no wastewater treatment plant is operational.

Only two of six pumps at Sheikh Radwan work, while repair equipment has awaited Israeli approval for over a year, putting communities at risk from sewage-contaminated floodwater.

The October 2025 ceasefire was meant to pave the way for reconstruction.

The Board of Peace was tasked with overseeing the process, but rebuilding has barely begun. Israel says reconstruction depends on Hamas disarmament.