Heavy Rains and Flooding Exacerbate Shelter Crisis for Displaced Gazans Amid Aid Shortfalls
Updated (2 articles)
Intense rains trigger collapses and hypothermia deaths Heavy rains over the past week, including storm Byron, flooded tent camps and seeped into mattresses, leaving families without dry clothing [2]. Roofs in Shati refugee camp and Gaza City collapsed, killing a two‑week‑old infant from hypothermia and causing at least 11 additional deaths, with Hamas‑run Civil Defence later raising the toll to 17 [1]. Video footage documented first responders retrieving bodies from collapsed structures, confirming the rapid failure of war‑damaged shelters [1].
Humanitarian deliveries increase yet fall short of pledged volumes UN agencies report delivering 250,000 winter clothing kits, 600,000 blankets, 7,000 tents, and over 300,000 tarpaulins since the ceasefire began nine weeks ago [1]. Israeli military data show daily truck arrivals well below the 600‑truck ceiling stipulated by the ceasefire, a shortfall disputed by Israel [2]. COGAT claims 600–800 lorries enter Gaza each day, but UN figures record only 67,800 tents and 318,100 bedding items collected at crossings during the same period [1].
Cold, overcrowding heighten disease risk and humanitarian urgency UNRWA warned that cold, unsanitary, and overcrowded conditions raise the likelihood of illness, urging unrestricted aid to prevent further suffering [2]. UNICEF highlighted that children in tents are especially vulnerable to hypothermia and water‑borne diseases amid the flooding [1]. Health officials stress that without rapid shelter reinforcement and medical supplies, preventable deaths could rise sharply [2].
Political pressure mounts for expanded ceasefire phases and aid flow Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal called for the second, reconstruction‑focused phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, emphasizing the need to open the Rafah crossing for rebuilding materials [2]. The UN continues to press Israel for unimpeded humanitarian access, citing blocked water pumps that hinder flood mitigation [2]. Israel maintains that aid deliveries are proceeding, though discrepancies in truck counts and pump access remain contested [1][2].
Sources
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1.
BBC: Heavy rains worsen conditions for displaced Gazans, UN warns – Details the lethal impact of recent rains, casualty figures, and UN‑reported aid quantities, emphasizing shelter damage and humanitarian needs .
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2.
AP: Winter storm exposes Gaza aid delivery gaps – Highlights storm Byron’s flooding, shortfalls in daily aid truck deliveries, UNRWA’s health warnings, and Hamas’s demand for a second ceasefire phase .
Timeline
Dec 11, 2025 – A winter storm named Byron drenches tent camps in Khan Younis, soaking mattresses and leaving families without dry clothing; UNRWA warns that cold, overcrowded, unsanitary conditions heighten illness risk and urges unrestricted humanitarian aid, including medical support and shelter [2].
Dec 11, 2025 – Israeli military data show the daily quota of 600 aid trucks stipulated by the ceasefire is not being met, a claim Israel disputes, exposing a shortfall in aid delivery during the crisis [2].
Dec 11, 2025 – Palestinian Civil Defense reports that at least three bomb‑damaged buildings in Gaza City partially collapse under the storm, warning residents to avoid staying inside compromised structures [2].
Dec 11, 2025 – Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal calls for the second, reconstruction phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, demanding the Rafah crossing open to address ongoing shelter and stability suffering [2].
Dec 17, 2025 – Heavy rains over the past week intensify hardship for displaced Gazans, with UNICEF measuring up to 15 cm of water near its office; a two‑week‑old infant dies of hypothermia and at least 11 others die in building collapses linked to the weather [1].
Dec 17, 2025 – Hamas‑run Civil Defence raises the death toll from shelter collapses to 17, including four children, and reports 17 buildings fully collapse and 90 partially collapse, illustrating the scale of structural damage [1].
Dec 17, 2025 – Video from Shati refugee camp shows first responders retrieving a body from a suddenly collapsed roof, providing visual evidence of the storm’s devastation [1].
Dec 17, 2025 – UN agencies increase aid deliveries since the ceasefire began nine weeks earlier, bringing in 250,000 winter‑clothing kits, 600,000 blankets and 7,000 tents; they note that about 55,000 families have lost belongings or shelters, yet needs remain immense [1].
Dec 17, 2025 – Israeli military body COGAT reports 600–800 humanitarian lorries entering Gaza daily and totals of 310,000 tents, 372,500 tarpaulins and 318,100 bedding items delivered since the ceasefire, while the UN records slightly lower figures, highlighting discrepancies in aid accounting [1].