International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned on Friday. The agency said materials urgently needed to reinforce shelters, including timber, plywood, sandbags and water pumps, are not being permitted into the enclave.
Torrential rains swept across Gaza on Thursday, flooding camps that have housed families displaced by two years of war. Local health officials reported the death of a baby girl due to exposure, while the Hamas-run media office said 12 people are dead or missing. At least 13 buildings collapsed in the storm, and more than 27,000 tents were flooded.
According to the IOM, nearly 795,000 displaced people are at heightened risk of dangerous flooding in low-lying areas filled with rubble, where drainage is insufficient and waste management is almost nonexistent. These conditions significantly elevate the risk of disease outbreaks, the U.N. agency added.
In Nuseirat’s displacement camp, tents were surrounded by ankle-deep water, with mattresses, clothes and shoes soaked through. Fifty-year-old Youssef Tawtah, using a bucket to bail out water, said he had little success. “All night long the children and I were on our feet. How can the children handle it?” he said, adding that even cooking a meal had become nearly impossible. “Our food is ruined.”
The IOM said existing supplies inside Gaza — including waterproof tents, thermal blankets and tarpaulins — were not holding up under the heavy rains. “After this storm made landfall yesterday, families are trying to protect their children with whatever they have,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope.
Israel maintains that it is meeting its obligations and has accused aid agencies of inefficiency and failing to prevent theft by Hamas. Hamas denies the allegations. COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for humanitarian coordination, was not immediately available for comment.
Although a ceasefire has largely held since October, Gaza’s infrastructure remains devastated, and living conditions are described as dire by both U.N. and Palestinian officials. At least 300,000 new tents are urgently needed for the roughly 1.5 million people still displaced.
The World Health Organization said more than 4,000 people are sheltering in high-risk coastal zones, with around 1,000 directly affected by waves from the sea. It also warned of severe health risks caused by pollution in the flooded, debris-filled camps.
