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Winter storm devastates Gaza as humanitarian crisis deepens
A severe winter storm has struck the Gaza Strip, intensifying the dire humanitarian crisis faced by 1.5 million displaced Palestinians living in overcrowded camps. Heavy rain, freezing temperatures, and widespread flooding have destroyed makeshift shelters, leaving families exposed to the elements and leading to multiple deaths, including infants.
Entire displacement camps in areas such as Khan Younis, Deir el-Balah, Nuseirat, and Gaza City have been submerged by floodwaters mixed with sewage, creating what local authorities describe as “unlivable” conditions. Gaza’s civil defence reported over 2,500 distress calls from families whose fragile tents were torn apart or swept away by torrential rain. The situation is further exacerbated by Israel’s continued blockade of essential humanitarian supplies, including mobile homes, tents, and equipment needed to repair damaged water and sewage systems.
Among the victims are two babies who recently succumbed to the freezing temperatures. In northern Gaza, a mother recounted her desperate attempts to keep her newborn daughter warm inside their rain-soaked shelter. “It was raining, fiercely cold, and I had very little to keep her warm,” she told Al Jazeera. “I wrapped her up the best I could, but it wasn’t enough… Suddenly I found my little baby motionless. Dead.” Similarly, a nine-month-old girl died in Khan Younis, where families struggle to survive without heating, adequate blankets, or proper shelter.
Some displaced families who sought refuge along Gaza’s coastline, the last available open space, now face the threat of rising tides that could wash away their makeshift camps. The crisis has been compounded by the destruction of more than 22,000 tents in the storm, with urgent appeals for 300,000 new units to meet the growing needs.
UN agencies have condemned the worsening conditions, emphasizing that the crisis is preventable. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warned that overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and exposure to the cold are driving a surge in illnesses and infections. The agency stated that the suffering could be alleviated through unimpeded humanitarian aid. However, Gaza’s Government Media Office reported that Israel has only permitted the entry of 20,000 tents, far short of what is required to address the escalating crisis.
As Gaza’s residents face a brutal winter with limited resources and mounting despair, calls for immediate international intervention continue to grow.
