Heavy rains flood Gaza displacement camps amid aid blockades

Floods hit displacement camps

Heavy rains on Saturday flooded at least 70,000 tents housing displaced people across the Gaza Strip. Local authorities reported that water washed away shelters and soaked blankets and mattresses in encampments including Deir al-Balah. Residents tried to repair their structures using sand while others scrambled to drain water by hand. Three abandoned houses collapsed without causing injuries during the storm event.

Aid access remains restricted

The International Organization for Migration stated that around 8,600 emergency shelter kits are waiting outside Gaza but remain turned away from crossing points. Israeli authorities consider tent poles and construction materials as dual use items and almost completely barred their entry into the territory. Officials from civil defence stated that fuel scarcity and damaged pumping equipment prevented them from handling the storm.

Health risks mount quickly

Civil society groups warn of disease outbreaks as overflowing sewage mixes with floodwater worsening already dire living conditions for residents. Palestinian civil society groups formed a coalition urging Israel to permit unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance. Red Cross spokesperson Amani Al Naouq told Al Jazeera she has seen footage of entire families inundated with water and scrambling to protect their belongings.