GAZA, December 28, 2025 (WAFA) – Harsh weather conditions and the intensifying impact of a low-pressure system have exacerbated the suffering of displaced people in the Gaza Strip, as strong winds destroyed tents and flooding placed thousands at risk of disease and drowning amid severe shortages and a lack of protection from cold and rain.
Tents sheltering displaced people in low-lying areas were flooded, while other tents were ripped away by the wind, forcing families, including children, to seek refuge into the open in freezing conditions.
The storms have affected more than a quarter of a million displaced people, out of approximately 1.5 million living in tents and makeshift shelters that provide little to no protection.
Displaced families are enduring harsh conditions amidst bitter cold and fierce winds. Thousands are living in tents made of nylon and thin fabric, lacking even the most basic protection from the rain and storms. Many are sheltering in streets, playgrounds, public squares, and schools, without any means of protection from the cold and storms.
Strong winds and heavy rains caused several tents of displaced people to flood and others to be blown away in various parts of the Gaza Strip, particularly in Khan Younis, due to a low-pressure system affecting the area. This exacerbated the suffering of tens of thousands of Palestinian families.
Several residential buildings damaged by previous Israeli bombing during the months of the war also collapsed due to the rain and wind.
The fuel shortage is worsening the crisis, as families find themselves unable to secure any means of heating in the face of plummeting nighttime temperatures. This has had a devastating impact on many children, with some deaths reported.
Citizens are often forced to live in dilapidated, crumbling buildings due to the lack of other options, after the Israeli army destroyed most of the existing structures and prevented the entry of mobile homes and construction materials.
Since the onset of the low-pressure system in Gaza this December, 17 Palestinians, including four children, have died, while approximately 90% of the shelters housing displaced people whose homes were destroyed by Israel have been flooded.
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