Gaza City, November 14, 2025 – Displaced Palestinian families are facing escalating hardships as the first winter rains inundate makeshift tent camps across Gaza City, highlighting the urgent need for better shelter, humanitarian aid, and winter supplies. The United Nations has repeatedly warned that ongoing Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries have left hundreds of thousands of Palestinians without adequate protection against harsh winter conditions.

Devastating Floods Hit Tent Camps

After the first heavy rainfall of the season on November 14, streets surrounding Gaza’s temporary displacement camps were submerged, with stagnant water pooling around tents, roads, and walkways. Residents reported that mattresses, clothes, and personal belongings were soaked, leaving families struggling to maintain even the most basic living conditions.

Abdulrahman Asaliyah, a displaced Palestinian resident, described the scene to Al Jazeera:

“We are calling for help, for new tents that can at least protect people from the winter cold. Nearly two dozen people worked for hours just to drain the water from the area. This winter rain is a blessing from God, but for many families, it has become a threat to their children’s survival.”

Gaza’s civil defense agency confirmed that northern Gaza was hardest hit, affecting thousands of families who had recently returned to the area following last month’s ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Central regions, including Deir el-Balah, also reported flooding, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

International Aid Remains Limited Amid Restrictions

The recent ceasefire on October 10 allowed some humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip; however, aid organizations report that the supplies are still insufficient. Families continue to lack access to food, medicine, clean water, and safe shelter. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has estimated that nearly 260,000 families, approximately 1.5 million people, remain highly vulnerable as winter approaches.

Although UNRWA claims it has enough shelter supplies for 1.3 million Palestinians, Israel continues to impose restrictions on the delivery of aid, hampering efforts to provide critical winter protection.

Angelita Caredda, the Middle East and North Africa director at the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), emphasized the urgency of the situation:

“We have a very short chance to protect families from the winter rains and cold. Without immediate shelter support, the consequences for children and vulnerable communities will be devastating.”

Children and Families Suffer Most

Al Jazeera correspondent Hind Khoudary reported from Deir el-Balah that even a brief rainstorm of just 30 minutes was enough to flood entire tent camps.

“Their tents are very fragile and worn-out; they have been living in them for the past two years. Most Palestinians have no other choice but to stay in overcrowded shelters or tents, even as they face freezing temperatures and flooding,” Khoudary said.

Families like that of Abu Ghassan in Gaza City described life under these conditions as unbearable:

“I’m lifting the mattresses so the children don’t get soaked, but the little ones were already drenched. We don’t even have proper tents. Our normal life is gone.”

Humanitarian Calls for Action

Aid groups have urged the international community to expedite the delivery of winterized tents, shelters, blankets, and other emergency supplies to protect displaced families. With Gaza’s infrastructure still recovering from the two-year war, thousands remain in vulnerable conditions, at risk from both flooding and the approaching cold winter months.

The situation underscores a wider humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where continued blockades, restrictions on aid, and infrastructure damage leave millions exposed to preventable suffering. Immediate international intervention is crucial to prevent further loss and protect the health and safety of Palestine’s most vulnerable citizens.