Heavy rains leave tens of thousands without shelter in Gaza: local authorities

Heavy rains on Saturday flooded approximately 70,000 tents housing tens of thousands of displaced people across the Gaza Strip. The Hamas-run government media office reported that the flooding occurred within a 12-hour period, leaving many without shelter and soaking bedding, mattresses, and blankets. According to Channel News Asia, hundreds of families were seen fleeing camps in Gaza City and across the central and northern areas of the territory.

The flooding and the collapse of cracked walls and roofs caused several injuries, some of which were critical, though Business Recorder noted that no fatalities had been reported. Business Recorder also stated that three abandoned houses collapsed without causing injuries. Civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal told AFP that his teams received more than 1,500 calls for urgent assistance during the night, noting the agency is operating without necessary equipment or capabilities.

Middle East Eye reported that the situation is exacerbated by Israeli authorities' restrictions on the entry of shelter materials, such as tent poles and construction supplies, into the territory. Additionally, the International Organization for Migration's Director General, Amy Pope, previously warned that humanitarian partners were covering only about 17 per cent of identified winter shelter needs.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Channel News Asia, Daily Times, Business Recorder, Middle East Eye — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.