Floods in Gaza worsen grim conditions for refugees in tent cities

Floods in war-ravaged Gaza are blocking roads, impeding movement and hindering ambulance crews carrying out rescue missions as Israel’s offensive against Hamas continues to claim the lives of thousands of Palestinians.

Rescue worker Hani Abou Khossah said the rain adds to the challenges amid limited resources. “There were locations we went to that were already flooded with rainwater,” he told media.

“This makes our work all the more difficult and places the patient or injured person at risk of contracting diseases because the water is contaminated as a result of the shelling.”

Israel’s strikes and shelling have killed at least 18,700 Palestinians in the coastal enclave since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, according to the local health authorities.

Meanwhile, more than 1.9 million people are believed to have been displaced in the past two months, with many fleeing to Rafah, near the Egyptian border, as Israeli forces fight Hamas.

“We fear for our lives, and we fear for our patients at the same time. There are locations we cannot reach because of the rain, so we are forced to take a longer route, which delays our rescue mission and endangers the patient,” explained Mr Abou Khossah.

After two months of relentless air strikes and fighting, the damage to infrastructure and the lack of effective waste management have aggravated the humanitarian conditions. Local authorities are warning of rat and insect infestations.

But as heavy wind and torrential rain flooded streets and uprooted makeshift tents, another humanitarian crisis looms: the spread of waterborne diseases.

“We are living in a tragic situation caused by the rain. We were displaced from Gaza city in difficult weather conditions,” said Bassma Hannouna, a displaced Palestinian in the southern city of Khan Younis.

“We live in tents and have no other shelter to protect us. We couldn’t even cook food outdoors for our children because the rain was putting out the fire, our only source of energy. We don’t even have winter clothes,” she told media.

Hannouna, a mother of two children, stays in a tent with her mother, husband, and one other family.

She said strong winds had damaged their tent and water flooded inside, reaching their belongings. “Our mattresses were soaked in water. We were soaked in water.”