Palestinians in Gaza are confronting a devastating choice this winter: live in tents exposed to harsh weather or risk residing in the precarious ruins of destroyed buildings. More than 400,000 homes have been rendered uninhabitable due to ongoing conflict, leaving many families in dire circumstances.
Hiyam Abu Nabah, a resident of the Hamad area in Khan Younis, has no option for safe shelter. She and her family reside in the remains of a building, lacking adequate protection from the elements, with upper floors precariously collapsed above them. The situation worsened last week as torrential rains and flooding claimed at least 17 lives in Gaza, including children, according to Palestinian Civil Defense Spokesperson Mahmoud Basal. He also reported that many fatalities resulted from building collapses, with over 90 residential structures affected and approximately 90% of shelters for the displaced completely flooded.
“The first day of the storm, we could hear the stones cracking above our heads,” Abu Nabah recounted. Her five-year-old child navigates through hanging electrical wires, which now serve as makeshift clotheslines. With electricity a distant memory, her dream of returning to her home in Shujaiya, Gaza City, feels unattainable. Access is blocked by the Israeli military as part of a ceasefire agreement, leaving her family in limbo.
In a nearby building, Awn Al Haj demonstrated the dangers of his makeshift shelter by poking at the crumbling roof with a stick, causing debris to fall at his feet. He likened the recent storm to the early days of the war, filled with uncertainty about safety. “Concrete blocks fall, water leaks in, wind and bitter cold,” he said. Al Haj understands that shoring up walls with mud and covering holes with tarpaulin are temporary fixes. The only alternative, he notes, is to sit in a tent by the sea, exposed to the elements.
The situation has escalated to tragic levels, especially in the al-Shati camp, where a collapsed building killed a man and injured two others during the recent storms. Neighbors reported that the building was already severely damaged from an Israeli airstrike, and the winter weather proved catastrophic. “Houses keep collapsing. Someone do something about how we are living,” a neighbor pleaded, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
The Gaza Civil Defense, which serves as the region’s emergency service, is overwhelmed. Their spokesperson, Mohammad Fathi, highlighted their lack of heavy machinery, such as excavators, which hampers rescue efforts for those trapped under debris. He warned, “With every winter storm, many families and many children will die.” Although the Civil Defense advises residents to evacuate damaged buildings during heavy rainfall, many feel they have no viable alternatives.
The United Nations reports that 1.3 million Palestinians urgently require shelter this winter. Recent figures from COGAT, the Israeli agency overseeing goods entering Gaza, indicate that approximately 310,000 tents and tarpaulins have been delivered, alongside over 1,800 trucks of warm blankets and clothing. Despite these efforts, the UN and various international NGOs are calling for increased aid access to support the hundreds of thousands without homes.
The tragic toll from the recent weather includes a two-week-old baby and an eight-month-old infant, both succumbing to hypothermia. With around 90% of shelters flooded, families face the grim reality of living in dangerous, crumbling buildings that were once their homes.
In Khan Younis, resident Bakr Mahmoud al-Sheikh Ali described ongoing collapses in his neighborhood. “People are afraid, but they tell you, brother, I need shelter, I do not want a tent and water in the winter, in this cold weather… whatever happens, happens.” The prevailing sentiment among displaced Gazans is clear: this is no way to live. As winter sets in, the challenges faced by residents of Gaza are both immediate and profound, with urgent calls for assistance echoing amid the ruins.
