Severe winter weather has pushed living conditions in Gaza to an even more critical point, with a large share of the population now surviving in makeshift shelters that offer little protection from the elements. Worn and fragile tents dominate vast areas, leaving families exposed to cold, wind and flooding as seasonal storms continue to pass through the territory.

Torrential rain has washed away tens of thousands of tents, while flooding has overwhelmed low-lying areas where displaced people had sought refuge. The impact has been deadly. Lives have been lost to extreme cold, and weakened structures have collapsed under the pressure of wind and rain. For many families, displacement has turned into a daily struggle simply to stay dry and alive.

Around one and a half million people are now living without proper housing or shelters that meet even minimal standards of safety and dignity. Emergency teams on the ground continue to answer distress calls, but their work is constrained by acute shortages of fuel, equipment and medical supplies. Ambulances are deployed as evenly as possible across the Strip, yet the scale of need far exceeds available resources.

These conditions are not the result of weather alone. They are the cumulative outcome of a genocidal war that has stripped Gaza of infrastructure, resilience and the capacity to protect its civilian population. As storms pass and new ones gather, the absence of meaningful relief leaves entire communities bracing for further loss.