Heavy rain in the Gaza Strip has flooded tens of thousands of displaced persons' tents, while local authorities and the United Nations are rushing to provide whatever aid they can amid limited relief supplies.
On 7 Nov 2026 GMT+7, heavy rain caused flooding of temporary tents sheltering tens of thousands of displaced persons in the Gaza Strip. United Nations officials described the situation as desperate, with nearly everyone in the area urgently needing assistance.
According to a spokesperson for the Gaza government, administered by Hamas, about 70,000 tents were affected by flooding. Residents have been using pots and pans to scoop water out of their tents, with many left homeless and without shelter.
Additionally, the rain caused cracked walls and roofs of buildings damaged by Israeli attacks to collapse in several places, injuring residents inside, some seriously.
"It's terrifying, and they are utterly desperate," said Jonathan Veitch, UNICEF's representative in Palestine. "As we were driving, people waved us down and stopped our vehicle on the streets, pleading for help."
"We have to be careful and selective about where we provide support, but unfortunately, the heavy flooding this morning means almost everyone is in need of aid."
"They are truly desperate. We've seen what happened last winter, with deaths from hypothermia. We may face the same again unless urgent action is taken now," Veitch added.
He further explained that the dire situation is worsened by Israeli restrictions on importing heavy machinery and supplies such as fuel, as well as UN budget cuts limiting availability of plastic sheeting and tents.
. bbc