Gaza floods destroy tent shelters as families await blocked aid

The rain hit families already living in fragile shelters after displacement by war. With most homes damaged or destroyed, according to Deutsche Welle, many residents had little protection beyond tents and tarpaulins.

The danger was visible before the storm. On November 5, Al Jazeera reported that families camping on Gaza's beaches were turning damaged cooking pots into barriers against seawater. It was a makeshift defence against the coming winter.

By November 7, heavy rain had inundated camps. Hundreds of displaced families were seen fleeing parts of Gaza City and central and northern Gaza, World News CNA reported. The BBC reported that tens of thousands of tents had flooded, with a United Nations official saying almost everyone in the territory needed help.

On November 8, Franceinfo cited local authorities saying about 70,000 tents had been flooded. In Deir al-Balah, residents told France 24 that overflowing sewage was mixing with the water entering their shelters.

The storm also brought fatal collapses. On November 8, Middle East Eye reported that at least five people, including three children, had died when a sandbank collapsed in Deir al-Balah. By November 9, UN News reported an infant's apparent drowning as well as five deaths beneath a collapsed sand dune.

The accounts differ on the collapse's death toll. CBC reported a woman and three children killed, while Euronews cited Gaza's rescue service reporting three children and two women. The Independent reported six deaths overall from the flooding and associated incidents.

The risks extended beyond flooded tents. On November 9, Middle East Eye reported three injuries after a wall collapsed onto a family's tent in Nuseirat. On November 10, Al Jazeera cited government figures saying more than 2,000 buildings risked collapse amid the floods, with 400,000 displaced people in vulnerable zones.

As of November 11, tens of thousands of Palestinians remained in waterlogged and damaged tents, according to The Guardian. Aid agencies told the outlet that 150,000 new shelters were outside Gaza awaiting Israeli approval to enter.

The lack of dry shelter is compounded by contaminated water and weakened structures. The Independent reported aid agency warnings about infectious disease, while the wall and sandbank collapses show the immediate danger around some camps.

Responsibility for the shelter shortage is disputed. A report carried by World News said Hamas blamed Israel for the lack of shelters and materials, while an Israeli agency said it had sought to improve conditions.

The immediate question is whether the 150,000 shelters awaiting entry receive Israeli approval, and how quickly they can reach families. The Guardian reported that they remained outside Gaza on November 11.

Another urgent issue is protection for people living beside unstable buildings and embankments. The government warning reported by Al Jazeera identifies hundreds of thousands of displaced people in vulnerable zones, beyond those whose tents have already flooded.