Winter rains ravage Gaza: Families displaced by war battle flooded tents

Gaza City: Torrential rains over the weekend have inundated makeshift camps in the Gaza Strip, leaving displaced Palestinians wading through ankle-deep water in tents worn down by months of use.

In Khan Younis, muddy puddles soaked blankets and mattresses, while fragile shelters were propped up with old wood. Children, wearing flip-flops and light clothing unsuitable for winter, navigated the flooded dirt roads, some using shovels to push water out of their tents.

“Nowhere to escape the rain”

“We drowned last night,” said Majdoleen Tarabein, a woman displaced from Rafah in southern Gaza. “Puddles formed, and there was a bad smell. The tent flew away. We don't know what to do or where to go.” She showed mud-soaked blankets and the remaining contents of her tent as she and her family tried to wring them dry by hand.

“When we woke up in the morning, we found the water had entered the tent,” said Eman Abu Riziq, also displaced in Khan Younis. “These are the mattresses — they are all completely soaked. My daughters' belongings were soaked. The water is entering from here and there,” she added, pointing to the ceiling and corners of the tent. Her family is still coping with the recent death of her husband, compounded by the struggle to stay dry.

Rising toll from winter weather

At least 12 people, including a two-week-old infant, have died since 13 December from hypothermia or the collapse of war-damaged homes, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government. Emergency workers have urged residents not to stay in damaged buildings, though the destruction across Gaza leaves few safe alternatives. A United Nations Satellite Centre assessment in July found that nearly 80 per cent of buildings in Gaza had been damaged or destroyed.

Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on 11 October, 414 people have been killed and 1,142 injured in Gaza. The overall Palestinian death toll from the war now stands at at least 71,266, according to the Health Ministry, which tracks casualties without distinguishing between militants and civilians.

Aid agencies have warned that more shelter is urgently needed as the humanitarian crisis worsens, with winter rains intensifying the hardships for families displaced by the conflict.