'Tents don't protect us': Heavy rains flood shelters of displaced Palestinians in Gaza

Heavy rain that swept across the Gaza Strip beginning late on Friday has flooded more than 70,000 tents sheltering displaced Palestinians, according to Gaza's Government Media Office. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are staying in locations considered highly vulnerable to further flooding as winter sets in.

In the az-Zawayda area of central Gaza, Jaber al-Kaseeh, who is in his 70s, said water began rushing into his family's tent on Saturday night, waking everyone inside. The flood soaked mattresses, carpets and blankets and spoiled what little food the family had managed to keep. "Everyone woke up and stayed awake, asking their neighbours about the extent of damage and inquiring about children," he told Al Jazeera, describing the area outside the displacement camp as a swimming pool.

This is the fourth winter in a tent for Jaber and his family, who were originally from Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza and have been displaced several times since the war began on October 7, 2023. He said his camp flooded three or four times last winter, driving many families away, and only around 40 tents remain. "All the tents are now damaged, torn and covered in mud," he said. "We urgently need tents, tarpaulins, plastic sheets, mattresses, blankets and carpets to protect us from the difficult days ahead. We keep hearing about tents and tarpaulins being distributed, but we have received nothing."

The flooding has laid bare a shelter crisis more than a year after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that included provisions for temporary housing units, tents and heavy machinery to clear rubble. Israel has continued to block the entry of goods into Gaza, including 60,000 mobile homes and 200,000 tents, according to the report. Only 20,000 tents have been allowed in, while mobile homes have remained parked on the Egyptian side of the border, many of them for more than two years.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Gaza requires approximately 121,000 tents and 561,000 tarpaulins, while available stocks remain far below what is needed. More than 90 percent of Palestinians in the enclave have been displaced, many of them multiple times, by the war.

For Om Hani Hamouda, a displaced woman from Beit Lahiya now sheltering in az-Zawayda, replacing a worn-out tent with a caravan has become a dream. Her family has been displaced around 15 times during the war, and she spent more than 15 years living and working in the United Arab Emirates before returning to Gaza nearly two years before the conflict began. "These tents do not protect us from the cold, storms or rain. Whenever winter comes, everyone holds their breath," she said. "We are asking for a dignified life. We want these tents to be replaced with caravans. Even a simple caravan would be better."

Ramy Abdu, chairman of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, told Al Jazeera that large quantities of tents, caravans, prefabricated housing units and shelter equipment remain stranded at Gaza's borders because of Israeli restrictions. He said more than 1.5 million displaced Palestinians face another winter in worn-out tents, and that with around 85 percent of homes destroyed or damaged, even families in houses and apartments are exposed to harsh weather. He added that Israel continues to reject shipments of timber and emergency shelter kits, and said Israel, as the occupying power, is legally obligated under the Fourth Geneva Convention to ensure essential supplies reach civilians.

Jihad Dawwas, 51, who was displaced from northern Gaza, is sheltering with seven of his own children and three orphaned children of his brother. He said water poured into their camp while strong winds blew away surrounding tents, leaving his children with nowhere dry to sleep. "They slept standing up. By morning, some of my children had become ill because of the cold and the storm," he said, adding that he bought the family's tent with his own money and received no aid.

Dawwas said he had seen no caravans or temporary housing units arrive despite the expectations raised by the ceasefire deal. "A tent cannot replace a home, not even by one percent," he said. "Our lives are a daily hell. We are completely forgotten. There is no fair distribution of aid, and no one is really asking about us."