The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the heavy rains that Gaza witnessed yesterday worsened the conditions of displaced families, especially in the Khan Yunis area, where dozens of tents were damaged or flooded.
For his part, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, stated that “the ongoing atrocities in the Gaza Strip are occurring in full view of the world,” noting that 15 months have passed since the war. He called for the immediate release of all detained humanitarian workers and hostages, and to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those in need wherever they are, in addition to lifting the siege on Gaza to facilitate the entry of necessary humanitarian supplies, including supplies needed to face the winter.
The rains and storms further deteriorated the situation, especially in light of the severe damage to sewage networks as a result of the Israeli bombing, which led to the flooding of the tents of the displaced in several areas of the Gaza Strip, and the increasing suffering of the population.
Painful scenes from Gaza..
🌐Video | The tents of the displaced are drowning in rainwater, amid thunderstorms that double the suffering in a harsh winter that increases the pain of siege and displacement. pic.twitter.com/N0imliPIZE
– Palestinian Information Center (@PalinfoAr) January 2, 2025
Many activists circulated video clips on social media platforms documenting the suffering of the displaced in the Gaza Strip since the onset of winter and the moment rainwater entered their tents amid their screams.
The tents of the displaced in Gaza were blown away by the wind pic.twitter.com/xRfh4Hnsmj
—Dr. Zaid Alsalman (@ZaidAlsalman6) December 28, 2024
Heavy rains caused the flooding of more than 1,500 tents housing displaced people in displacement camps and shelter centers in various areas in the Gaza Strip, which was subjected to severe weather conditions in recent days. The Civil Defense Media Office in Gaza reported that rescue teams documented hundreds of tents being flooded with rainwater to a height of more than 30 centimetres, causing the displaced to suffer from shivering due to the cold, in addition to damage to their property and the contents of their tents.
The Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip confirmed that the displaced are facing the second winter season in harsh living conditions that lack the minimum necessities, and without any means of heating. He pointed out that more than 81% of the displaced people’s tents were worn out and no longer fit for use.
Death by cold
International newspapers highlighted the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip due to the extreme cold. The Independent covered a report on the death of children as a result of the severe cold, noting that about one million and 600 thousand displaced people live in temporary shelters that provide only limited protection from rain and cold.
For its part, Liberation newspaper quoted a psychiatrist residing in Gaza as saying that residents of the Strip have experienced all forms of death. She explained that the displaced people, who have had to move repeatedly since the start of the war, cannot find a safe place, noting that they live under the siege of bombing, hunger, cold, and despair.
In a statement – issued on Monday – the government media in Gaza warned of the impact of a high-impact depression in the coming hours and days, stressing that it constitutes a “real threat” to the lives of two million displaced people, most of whom live in tents that do not protect them from harsh weather conditions.
In turn, Dr. Ahmed Al-Farra, Director of the Emergency and Children’s Department at Nasser Hospital, expressed his concern about the possible increase in the number of deaths among children, infants and the elderly as a result of the current conditions.