In the statement made by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), it was stated that the heavy rain and strong winds affecting the Gaza Strip flooded the shelter centers and exposed the Palestinians displaced due to the attacks of the Israeli army to serious dangers.
In the statement, it was requested to immediately allow the entry of winter materials being shipped to Gaza, as well as engine oil and spare parts required to operate heavy-duty machines and generators to be used in humanitarian aid activities.
In the statement, it was emphasized that the majority of approximately 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza were displaced and most of them were struggling to survive in worn-out tents, and that the current humanitarian aid stocks were not sufficient to meet the needs.
It was stated that humanitarian aid workers took action to deliver emergency aid supplies to families affected by the disaster, but the lack of funding and restrictions that have been ongoing for months have seriously disrupted winter preparations.
The statement stated that additional humanitarian aid and financing is needed to combat the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
According to the data of the Media Office of the government in Gaza, 70 thousand tents were flooded due to the rains, while some buildings and walls damaged in previous Israeli attacks collapsed due to strong winds.
On the other hand, Gaza Municipality Spokesperson Hüsnü Mihna, in his statement to the AA correspondent, said that approximately 60 kilograms of rainfall per square meter fell in the city, which corresponds to approximately 15 percent of the average annual rainfall.
Stating that adverse weather conditions caused damage in tent camps, shelter centers and residential areas, Mihna stated that thousands of tents were damaged, blown away and flooded due to strong winds.
Gaza Civil Defense Directorate Public Relations Manager Abdullah al-Mecdilavi also stated that the teams could not provide comprehensive support to the disaster victims due to their lack of resources.
Majdilavi said, "We go to the citizens and see a camp submerged under water with all its tents, people, belongings and beds. We are truly helpless in the face of this tragic and difficult reality we live in Gaza." he said.
Gaza Civil Defense Directorate announced that it received more than 1500 calls for help.
Health sources reported that 5 Palestinians were injured as a result of the collapse of the walls of two buildings damaged in previous Israeli attacks and sheet metal falling from the buildings.
Israeli blockade deepens housing crisis
The Israeli blockade in Gaza, which has been going on for years, and the widespread destruction caused by the attacks aggravate the housing problem of displaced Palestinians.
Due to Israel's restrictions on humanitarian aid entries, there is difficulty in delivering basic shelter materials such as tents, tarpaulins and containers to the region.
Palestinians, whose houses were destroyed or severely damaged, are forced to live in worn-out tents that cannot provide protection against rain and cold because they do not have access to sufficient shelter materials.
The extensive destruction of infrastructure and service facilities in Israeli attacks also makes it difficult to evacuate rainwater.
The addition of inadequate shelter facilities to deficiencies in heating equipment and basic needs increases the risks, especially for children, the elderly and the sick.
The European-Mediterranean Observatory for Human Rights had previously stated that approximately 2 million Palestinians in Gaza needed shelter assistance and that approximately 200 thousand tents and 1 million tarpaulins needed to be delivered to the region urgently.
Approximately 950 thousand Palestinians live in flood-prone areas in Gaza
In its statement on November 5, the United Nations (UN) Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) stated that 1 million 980 thousand people in Gaza, approximately 94 percent of the population, urgently need basic needs other than shelter and food.
In the statement, based on field research conducted between 14 and 28 June, it was noted that 58 percent of Gaza's population faced critical or disaster-level shelter needs.
In the report published by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in mid-October 2026, it was reported that approximately 950 thousand Palestinians lived in displacement areas with medium or high flood risk, and more than 400 thousand of them were in high-risk areas.
In the report, it was stated that approximately 294 thousand families needed shelter assistance during the winter season, and the available materials were at a level that could only provide partial support to 52 thousand families.
The destruction of most of the housing and infrastructure in Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, along with repeated forced displacements, forced many Palestinians to live in tents and temporary shelter centers.
Although more than a year has passed since the ceasefire agreement came into force in October 2025, housing and reconstruction needs still outpace the aid that can be delivered to the region.
Israel's restrictions on the entry of materials necessary for the establishment of temporary shelters and the repair of damaged housing also make the solution to the housing crisis difficult.
