Floods leave tens of thousands without shelter in Gaza

Heavy rains and strong winds have damaged thousands of tents and shelters across the Gaza Strip, leaving tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians exposed to harsh weather conditions, authorities said on Sunday (November 8).

The storm, which began late Friday, flooded around 70,000 tents and brought down dozens of walls, according to Gaza's Government Media Office. Nearly 400,000 displaced Palestinians are living in areas considered highly vulnerable to further flooding.

The Gaza Civil Defence said it had received at least 1,500 emergency calls following the severe weather. It warned that more than 2,000 buildings were at risk of collapse and said at least 300,000 tents were needed to provide adequate shelter for those affected.

The flooding has further worsened the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where displaced families are struggling with inadequate shelter and limited access to relief supplies. Some families whose shelters were flooded had not received food aid since early Saturday, Al Jazeera reported, citing its correspondent Ashraf Abu Amra.

UNICEF Special Representative in Palestine Jonathan Veitch said most people were living in terrible conditions and called for increased funding to deliver essential assistance. Gaza's Government Media Office estimated the storm damage at $3 million.