Gazans Face Dire Winter Choices Amidst Devastation and Flooding

Residents of Gaza are facing an unbearable dilemma this winter, forced to choose between living in tents exposed to harsh weather or risking their lives in the ruins of collapsed buildings. With over 400,000 homes destroyed due to ongoing conflict, many families find themselves in precarious situations as winter storms bring heavy rain and flooding.

Hiyam Abu Nabah is among those affected. She lives with her family in a partially destroyed building in the Hamad area of Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The structure offers little protection, with no walls to shield them from the elements and debris from the upper floors threatening to collapse at any moment. Last week, torrential rains resulted in the loss of at least 17 lives, including children, according to Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defense. The harsh weather has further exacerbated an already dire situation, as approximately 90% of shelters for displaced families were reported to be completely flooded.

Abu Nabah described the terrifying conditions: “On the first day of the storm, we could hear the stones cracking above our heads. Sand was falling into our eyes… this is not a life.” Her five-year-old child navigates through electrical wires dangling from the ceiling, where makeshift clotheslines are strung to keep garments off the soaked floor.

The prospect of returning to her home in Shujaiya, Gaza City, is grim. It remains inaccessible due to being situated behind the so-called “yellow line,” an area under Israeli military control following the ceasefire agreement. Nearby, Awn Al Haj shows the crumbling roof of his shelter, pointing out how the structural damage has made it increasingly dangerous. He recalls the recent storms: “Three days of it were like the early days of the war… you did not know what would happen while you are sitting here.”

Al Haj, like many others, struggles to secure his shelter against the elements. He uses mud to shore up crumbling walls and tarpaulin to cover gaping holes. Yet he realizes these efforts are merely temporary fixes. “The only alternative,” he states, “is to sit by the sea, in a tent, inundated by water.”

In the al-Shati camp, tragedy struck when a building collapsed, killing a man inside and injuring two others. Neighbors reported that structural damage from an airstrike had left the building vulnerable, and the recent storms were the final blow. “Houses keep collapsing. Someone do something about how we are living,” a neighbor lamented.

Mohammad Fathi of the Gaza Civil Defense, which operates as the emergency service, noted the severe lack of resources, stating they do not have heavy machinery to aid in rescue operations. “With every winter storm, many families and many children will die,” he warned. Although the Civil Defense recommends evacuating damaged buildings during heavy rainfall, many residents feel they have no viable alternatives.

As the situation deteriorates, the United Nations has reported that 1.3 million Palestinians urgently require shelter this winter. Recent data from COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for facilitating goods into Gaza, indicates that nearly 310,000 tents and tarpaulins have been delivered, along with over 1,800 trucks of warm clothing and blankets. However, humanitarian organizations are urging Israel to allow more aid into the region, as they are currently blocked from delivering assistance directly.

The harsh reality is underscored by the tragic deaths of two infants, a two-week-old and an eight-month-old, who succumbed to hypothermia. As around 90% of shelters for displaced people remain flooded, more families are being forced into dangerous conditions. Bakr Mahmoud al-Sheikh Ali, a resident of Khan Younis, expressed the fear pervasive in his community: “People are afraid, but they tell you, brother, I need shelter, I do not want a tent and water in the winter… whatever happens, happens.”

The overarching sentiment among displaced Gazans is clear: this is no way to live. As winter progresses, the international community continues to call for immediate action to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.