Gaza's first winter storm floods 70,000 tents; over 560,000 children face fourth winter without shelter

Gaza's first winter storm flooded around 70,000 tents in a single day, forcing displaced families to flee waterlogged camps at night, with Civil Defence receiving more than 1,500 distress calls, Save the Children said.

More than half a million children — Save the Children puts the figure at over 560,000 — are now facing their fourth winter in torn tents or makeshift shelters, with families burning garbage to stay warm. A Palestine Shelter Cluster assessment found that about 58% of people in Gaza, or 1.2 million people, are living in "critical or catastrophic" shelter conditions.

Nearly half of families surveyed — 48% — are resorting to burning plastic, tyres, garbage or cardboard to cook, with 84% saying they have no effective way to heat their shelters. Last year, 11 children were reported to have died from hypothermia.

Over 464,000 people live in displacement sites at high risk of flooding, particularly in Al-Mawasi in western Khan Younis, sites in Deir al-Balah, and areas of Gaza City, northern Gaza and Rafah. Temperatures have dropped as low as 5°C.

Israeli authorities have repeatedly blocked the entry of caravans, tents, tarpaulins, plastic sheeting, insulation, blankets, fuel, cooking gas and construction materials, Save the Children said. More than a million people in Gaza need winter clothing, but available supplies cover just 1% of that need.

60% of the $283 million required for winter preparedness remains unfunded.

Ahmad Alhendawi, Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe at Save the Children International, said: "Tents, shelter kits and fuel are waiting at Gaza's borders while children sleep in floodwater, because the Israeli authorities are blocking their entry. This is a choice, and children are paying the price."