Winter Storms Threaten Gaza’s Fragile Displacement Camps

Gaza, MINA – Gaza’s competent authorities have warned that displacement camps and shelters are at risk of flooding as winter storms are expected to hit the region soon, according to the Palestinian Information Center (PIC).

Thousands of displaced families face severe risks as harsh winter conditions approach, with their worn tents pitched in low-lying, flood-prone areas and along exposed coastal lines, according to officials in Gaza.

Meanwhile, displaced families already face severe shortages of shelter and heating supplies as winter sets in, while damage to infrastructure from the Israeli aggression has left local authorities virtually unable to respond to emergencies.

The winter emergency committee in Gaza has warned of escalating risks as the winter season approaches, saying that around 7,800 tents are located in hazardous areas and require urgent relocation to safer sites, while roughly 200,000 dilapidated tents are sheltering hundreds of thousands of displaced people.

The committee also warned that around 2,000 structurally damaged buildings are at risk of collapse during upcoming storms as many families remain forced to shelter in destroyed and unsafe structures.

The warnings describe a shelter system stretched to its physical limits, with three distinct categories of risk: tents in flood-prone zones, tents that are themselves deteriorated beyond effective use, and damaged buildings that could collapse under storm loads.

The committee’s figures indicate that roughly 7,800 tents require immediate relocation, a logistical task made far harder by the destruction of infrastructure and the limited capacity of local authorities. The broader stock of some 200,000 dilapidated tents represents a slower-moving crisis, as families remain exposed to rain, cold, and wind in shelters that were never designed for multi-year use.

The risks extend beyond exposure. Fires have repeatedly broken out in displacement camps lacking basic safety measures, killing two infant girls in al-Mawasi on Saturday, while the absence of cooking gas has forced families to rely on firewood and primitive cooking methods inside crowded tents.

The warnings come as Gaza enters its fourth winter since the war began on October 7, 2023. The UN Human Rights Office has said that displacement in Gaza has become an “acute and chronic nightmare,” with most Palestinians entering their fourth year of displacement inside frail tents that cannot withstand rain, while Israeli military deployment areas have expanded to cover about 70 percent of the Strip.

The humanitarian toll continues to mount. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that 74,609 Palestinians have been killed and 175,834 injured since October 2023, with 1,580 killed and 5,711 injured since the ceasefire took effect on October 11, 2025. The Gaza Media Office has documented 5,989 Israeli ceasefire violations since the truce began, including 753 in October alone.

With storms approaching and local authorities unable to respond to emergencies, the coming weeks are likely to test whether the ceasefire can hold well enough to allow even minimal shelter preparations.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)