Gaza Families Struggle to Rebuild Lives After Deadly Torrential Rains
For families in Gaza, survival has long been measured against the threats of airstrikes, hunger, and disease. Now, a relentless natural force has compounded the man-made catastrophe: torrential rains.
Over the past week, a severe storm dumped more than 150 milliliters of rain on parts of the coastal enclave—in some areas, more than twice the seasonal average. For a population living amidst ruins, the downpour has been catastrophic, turning camps into quagmires, collapsing weakened buildings, and claiming lives.
A Landscape Unable to Cope
The scenes from displacement camps are ones of profound vulnerability. Dirt pathways have dissolved into thick mud. Rainwater has poured into countless tents, soaking the scant belongings of families who have already lost everything. “During every storm like this, water penetrates our tents, and our mattresses and blankets get soaked,” shared Mohammed Gharableh, a displaced father from Rafah.
The peril extends far beyond the tents. With nearly 80 percent of Gaza’s buildings damaged or destroyed, according to UN estimates, many have sought shelter in structures already compromised by war. The heavy rains have proven too much for these fragile remains. In Gaza City, a man was killed when a previously damaged home collapsed on Tuesday. He was a laborer who had come to repair the walls—a tragic symbol of the desperate attempts to shore up a crumbling environment.
The Health Ministry, run by Hamas, reported that at least 12 people have died due to the storm, including a two-week-old baby who succumbed to hypothermia. Emergency workers repeatedly warn people to avoid damaged buildings, but for countless Gazans, there is simply nowhere else to go.
A Aid Shortfall in the Cold
This crisis underscores a critical failure in the aftermath of the recent ceasefire. While a military calm has held for two months, aid organizations report a severe shortage of adequate winter shelter and supplies entering Gaza. The cold, wet weather has laid bare the gap between what is promised and what is provided.
The Israeli coordinating body, COGAT, states that nearly 270,000 tents and tarps have entered Gaza in recent months. However, groups on the ground, like the Shelter Cluster led by the Norwegian Refugee Council, contest these figures. They track only about 68,000 tents that have arrived via official aid channels and note that many of those are summer tents, ill-suited for winter rains and cold.
“When we hear the news that there is a storm, our whole lives change,” explained Gharableh. “We start thinking about where to stay, to go, where to put our mattresses and blankets, and where to keep our children safe and warm.” This constant state of contingency planning is the exhausting reality for nearly two million displaced people.
The Human Cost of Broken Infrastructure
Beyond shelter, the rain exacerbates a sanitation disaster. With formal sewage systems destroyed, many rely on cesspits dug near their tents. Floodwaters risk contaminating these further, spreading waterborne diseases in crowded, vulnerable communities.
The storm’s impact is a stark reminder that in Gaza, the definition of emergency is ever-expanding. It is not just bombs and bullets, but now also the weather—a force that elsewhere might be an inconvenience, but here, amidst the rubble and ragged tents, becomes a lethal threat.
As the skies clear, the struggle does not end. Families are left to bail out their tents, salvage wet blankets, and mourn new losses. The international response to this deepening humanitarian crisis remains a test of basic human solidarity. Without a massive and immediate influx of winterized tents, waterproof tarpaulins, and building materials for repairs, the coming months promise only more suffering for a population that has already endured too much.
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