Key Points
- Nearly 800,000 displaced Gazans at risk as heavy rains flood shelters
- UN says key shelter materials blocked from entering enclave
- Aid supplies already inside Gaza unable to withstand storm conditions
ISLAMABAD: The UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has warned that hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza face flooding after heavy rains inundated makeshift shelters, while materials for shelters and sandbags are not being allowed to enter the Palestinian enclave.
The alert follows torrential rains that swept the Gaza Strip on Thursday, flooding hundreds of temporary shelters and reportedly causing the death of an infant due to exposure. The IOM said inadequate drainage, rubble, and deteriorating living conditions have heightened the threat to displaced communities and increased the risk of disease outbreaks.
The agency reported that almost 795,000 displaced people are staying in low-lying, debris-filled areas where shelters offer minimal protection against severe weather. It said that timber, plywood, sandbags, and water pumps urgently needed to build shelters and mitigate flooding have been delayed due to access restrictions.
Heavy rains from #StormByron are flooding displacement sites across Gaza, endangering families already living in unsafe, overcrowded shelters, with nearly 795,000 lives at risk.
Critical tools and materials are needed to reach communities at scale now.https://t.co/IxoFwLhRzx
— IOM – UN Migration 🇺🇳 (@UNmigration) December 12, 2025
Supplies already delivered—such as waterproof tents, tarpaulins, and thermal blankets—proved insufficient in the latest storm.
“After this storm made landfall yesterday, families are trying to protect their children with whatever they have,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said.
Israeli authorities maintain they are meeting humanitarian obligations and attribute delays to logistical inefficiencies and diversion risks.
Despite a ceasefire since October, Gaza’s infrastructure remains heavily damaged, and UN and Palestinian officials estimate that at least 300,000 new tents are required for the 1.5 million people still displaced.
