Heavy rain flooded tents in displacement camps across Gaza on Saturday, leaving families struggling with soaked bedding and belongings, according to reporting from the territory; the overall scale of the flooding has not been independently established.
Al Jazeera reported that rainwater inundated tents in al-Mina camp in northern Gaza, where families said their bedding and clothes were soaked. The report said water levels rose by 30 to 40 centimetres at several camps.
Gaza’s Government Media Office said 70,000 tents had been flooded within 12 hours, according to an Agence France-Presse report published by Daily Sabah. That figure is an official claim and has not been independently verified in the supplied reporting. The office also reported damage to weakened walls and roofs and injuries, without providing independently confirmed casualty figures.
The same AFP report said Gaza Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal reported receiving more than 1,500 calls from residents seeking help. The figures and accounts describe a response to the storm, but do not establish the full number of affected families or tents.
Al Jazeera cited the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs as estimating that about 950,000 displaced people live in areas exposed to flooding, including more than 400,000 in locations considered at high risk. The report also said shelter supplies available covered only a fraction of the needs of families requiring assistance ahead of winter.
The flooding was also described in social-media posts from Gaza-focused organisations and accounts. Sanabel Team said families it supported in multiple locations could not cook in their tents because of flooding, while Gulf Times relayed a Gaza Center for Human Rights statement describing flooded tents and damaged belongings.
The extent of damage across Gaza, the number of people displaced from flooded shelters and the full impact of the rainfall remain unclear.
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