Gaza, Palestine – Storm Byron has unleashed heavy rains, hail, and strong winds across the Gaza Strip, leaving thousands of Palestinians displaced and at risk of severe flooding. Officials warn that hundreds of thousands of residents, many already living in tents or damaged shelters following Israel’s two-year war, could face catastrophic conditions.

Heavy Flooding and Displaced Families

In the southern city of Rafah, Palestinian Civil Defence teams reported numerous distress calls from camps where tents were submerged, trapping families inside. Social media footage shows residents digging trenches around tents in desperate attempts to redirect floodwater.

“Despite limited resources, our teams are working tirelessly to assist those in need,” the Civil Defence agency said on Telegram.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) identified nearly 850,000 people across 761 displacement sites at highest risk, noting that previous storms had already damaged more than 200 sites, affecting over 140,000 people.

Humanitarian Access and Equipment Shortages

Humanitarian organizations say Israeli restrictions on essential supplies, including tents, water repair tools, and sewage system equipment, have left Gaza ill-prepared. Only 40,000 of the 300,000 tents needed were allowed into the territory.

Oxfam’s Chris McIntosh said, “Persistent bureaucracy prevented us from bringing in adequate dwellings. The only material currently allowed is tarpaulin, which is insufficient for proper shelter.”

Amjad Shawa of the Palestinian NGOs Network warned that flooding could contaminate drinking water and food with sewage and solid waste, raising the risk of disease in the densely populated Strip.

Vulnerable Populations at Greatest Risk

UN spokesperson Farhan Haq highlighted that vulnerable groups, including infants, were particularly at risk. Families in areas prone to flooding are being relocated to safer displacement sites, such as in eastern Khan Younis, where roughly 200 households were expected to arrive.

According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, 288,000 families lack proper shelter as the storm approaches. Officials have appealed to the international community, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and US President Donald Trump, to pressure Israel to allow in vital supplies.

International Response and Warnings

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese condemned global inaction, writing on X, “Palestinians in Gaza are literally left alone, freezing and starving in the winter storm. I keep asking how we became such monsters, incapable of stopping this nightmare.”

OCHA and local authorities continue to monitor flooding, calling on the international community to provide immediate assistance and support emergency measures.