On Friday, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that at least 16 individuals, including three children, died in the last 24 hours due to a severe winter storm. The children succumbed to the cold as Storm Byron’s heavy rains have inundated tents and temporary shelters in Gaza since Wednesday night, worsening the plight of residents who have been displaced by over two years of conflict.
The civil defense agency, operating under Hamas, informed AFP about the children’s deaths from cold exposure—two in Gaza City and one in Khan Yunis. Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City confirmed the deaths of nine-year-old Hadeel al-Masri and several-month-old Taim al-Khawaja.
In Khan Yunis, eight-month-old Rahaf Abu Jazar perished due to the cold in the Al-Mawasi tent camp, as announced by Nasser Hospital. With much of Gaza’s infrastructure in ruins, numerous tents and makeshift shelters now occupy cleared spaces.
Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal reported six fatalities from a house collapse in Bir al-Naja in northern Gaza, while two bodies were retrieved from a collapsed home in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan area. Additionally, five more people died in separate incidents due to collapsing walls.
The civil defense stated their teams responded to “13 house collapses caused by heavy rain and strong winds,” mainly in Gaza City and northern areas.
Struggling for Dry Clothes
Under overcast skies in Nuseirat, central Gaza, Palestinians struggled to drain water from around their plastic-sheeting tents using bowls, buckets, and hoes. Young children, some barefoot, splashed through muddy puddles as rain continued to fall.
“Our mattress has been soaked since morning, and the children slept on wet bedding last night,” Umm Muhammad Joudah told AFP. “We lack dry clothes to change into.”
Seventeen-year-old Saif Ayman, on crutches, described his tent’s flooding. “Without blankets, six of us share a single mattress, using our clothes for warmth,” he explained.
UNICEF spokesman Jonathan Crickx, currently in Gaza, noted that nighttime temperatures could drop to eight or nine degrees Celsius (46-48 degrees Fahrenheit). “Families in makeshift tents face heavy rains and strong winds, barely shielded by plastic tarps,” he remarked.
Samer Morsi, a 22-year-old displaced Palestinian in Deir el-Balah, recounted, “I held onto the tent pole throughout the night to prevent it from blowing away.” He added, “We are not made of stone; we are humans with feelings.”
Hygiene Crisis
Crickx highlighted “truly appalling hygiene and sanitation conditions,” expressing concern about the spread of preventable waterborne diseases. “There are insufficient toilets; in areas like Gaza City, large water pools resemble open sewers near displacement camps, threatening children’s health,” he stated.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas since October has somewhat eased restrictions on goods and aid entering Gaza. However, the United Nations reports that supplies remain inadequate, and humanitarian needs are vast. The WHO warned of “sheltering families in low-lying or debris-filled coastal areas lacking drainage or barriers,” with winter conditions exacerbating respiratory infections.
