Days of heavy rain have flooded hundreds of makeshift shelters across Gaza, deepening the misery of displaced Palestinians as Israel continues to restrict the entry of humanitarian aid amid genocide.
Families forcibly displaced across Gaza are struggling to keep their children warm and save what few belongings they have left.
While the weather is expected to improve in the coming days, for some it is already too late. At least seven people, including six babies, have died of hypothermia in the past week.
The cold weather has put a strain on Gaza’s already devastated health system. A field hospital was flooded in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis.
The Palestinian Civil Defense says floodwaters reached more than 30 cm in affected tents, leaving displaced Palestinians exposed to the cold and damaging their belongings and mattresses.
Emergency services said the tents – located in areas including northern Gaza City, southern Khan Younis, as well as central Deir el-Balah – had become unusable due to flooding.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are crammed into inadequate tents, most of which have been hastily set up in Deir el-Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah, as Gaza’s 2.4 million residents suffer severe shortages drinking water, food and medicine.
The Israeli genocide in Gaza has killed at least 45,541 Palestinians and injured 108,338 since October 7, 2023.