Relentless rainfall has placed hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Gaza in immediate danger, as water pours into fragile tents and improvised shelters erected with little protection from the elements. Entire communities are now surrounded by mud, debris and stagnant water, with families struggling to keep children warm and dry using whatever scraps remain available to them.

Large numbers of people are living in low-lying areas strewn with rubble, where flooding spreads rapidly and drains are non-existent. The absence of basic sanitation systems has intensified fears of disease, while the continued blocking of essential shelter materials has left families unable to reinforce their tents or protect them from collapse. Items needed to stabilise shelters and manage floodwater remain out of reach, rendering earlier aid deliveries largely ineffective against the scale of the storms.

The human toll is rising. Local authorities report that at least fourteen people, including women and children, have lost their lives since the storm began, many after homes and temporary shelters failed under the weight of rain and wind. Tens of thousands of tents have been damaged or destroyed, adding to the devastation of a population already worn down by a prolonged genocidal war that has stripped them of safe housing, security and basic necessities. As winter conditions persist, the risk of further loss of life continues to grow.