Heavy rains, strong winds destroy 90 percent of Gaza's displacement tents: Civil Defense

Gaza authorities say heavy winter rains and strong winds have destroyed nearly 90 percent of displacement tents, leaving more than half a million Palestinians exposed to flooding, mud, and life-threatening conditions in the besieged territory.

Civil Defense officials warned on Monday that more than half a million Palestinians in the blockaded region now face serious danger from the ongoing storm.

Rescue teams urged residents to evacuate buildings at risk of collapse to prevent casualties

Flimsy tents were flooded, and makeshift camps were engulfed in mud following days of relentless winter rain.

Civil defense crews reported receiving hundreds of emergency calls related to flooding but were unable to respond effectively due to severe fuel shortages.

In a tragic incident, a child drowned after falling into a water-filled pit in the al-Sudaniya area, north of Gaza City, Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal confirmed.

In a separate event, a woman was killed when a wall collapsed onto her tent near Gaza’s port, highlighting the extreme vulnerability of improvised shelters amid severe weather.

At least 15 people, including infants, have died this month from hypothermia as temperatures plunged and rains persisted, authorities said.

Palestinian media reported that thousands of families are now living in dire humanitarian conditions, with many tents in dilapidated states and no viable alternatives for shelter.

The severe weather has compounded the hardships faced by displaced Palestinians in Gaza, who have endured relentless bombardment, a crippling siege, and widespread loss over more than two years of Israel’s genocidal war.

Israeli attacks have destroyed an estimated 80 percent of buildings across the strip, and Israel continues to block critical shelter and aid supplies despite a declared ceasefire.

Gaza authorities have called on international organizations and relevant authorities to act immediately to facilitate the entry of construction materials and adequate shelter supplies into the territory.

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‘Man-made’ winter crisis affecting 235,000 Gazans, UNRWA warns

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) on Monday said that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza were affected by the storm.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said that approximately 235,000 people were directly affected from December 10 to 17, as a result of the collapse of buildings and damage to thousands of tents.

"While Storm Byron that struck Gaza on December 10 was a natural hazard, its consequences are man-made," Lazzarini stressed.

The agency said that ongoing Israeli aggression and displacement have forced Gaza residents to live among ruins and temporary shelters that lack the most basic safety features.

"Months of war and displacement forced people in Gaza to live amid collapsing ruins in makeshift shelters or in flimsy tents," Lazzarini said on X social media.

Aid groups have asked the international community to pressure Israel to lift restrictions on life-saving aid deliveries into the besieged territory.

Meanwhile, despite the ceasefire that came into effect on October 10, Israeli attacks on Palestinians have continued in Gaza.

Since the truce went into effect, nearly 414 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,100 injured in Israel's ceasefire violations, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

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