Storm Soaks Displacement Camps in Gaza During Ramadan

By Staff, Agencies

Heavy rain swept across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday as the first major low-pressure system since the start of Ramadan struck the territory, flooding tents that shelter displaced Palestinians and worsening an already severe humanitarian situation.

The Palestinian Civil Defense reported receiving multiple emergency calls overnight from families whose tents were inundated by intense rainfall. Rescue teams evacuated several families after floodwaters submerged their shelters in the al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The Gaza Municipality also said it had received dozens of distress calls, adding that hundreds of tents across different parts of the enclave were flooded as the storm moved through.

Munir al-Barsh, Director General of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, told Al Mayadeen that the severe weather had intensified the hardships faced by residents. A correspondent for the outlet described the night as extremely difficult, highlighting the serious impact of the storm on displaced families.

Since December, several low-pressure systems have struck Gaza, flooding or destroying tens of thousands of tents and causing already damaged buildings to collapse. Some of these incidents have led to deaths and injuries, including fatalities linked to exposure to extreme cold.

Around 1.9 million Palestinians—out of Gaza’s population of approximately 2.4 million—are currently displaced and living in deteriorating tents with limited access to basic necessities after their homes were destroyed during two years of war.