Heavy rains damage thousands of shelters for displaced Palestinians in Gaza

Heavy rain and strong winds that began late on Friday have flooded an estimated 70,000 tents and damaged dozens of temporary walls across the Gaza Strip, according to the Government Media Office. The Gaza Civil Defence reported receiving at least 1,500 emergency calls, and warned that more than 2,000 buildings are at risk of collapse. Officials said around 300,000 additional tents are needed to provide adequate shelter for displaced residents affected by the weather.

Al Jazeera reporter Ibrahim al-Khalili, who was in Gaza City, described the damage to makeshift shelters, noting that many families had spent days reinforcing them before the storm. > "The latest storm exposed just how fragile the protection is. In just a few hours, heavy rains and strong winds tore through shelters families had spent days trying to reinforce," he said.

In Deir el-Balah, displaced families reported not receiving food aid since early Saturday. UNICEF special representative Jonathan Veitch said most people are living in "terrible conditions" and called for increased funding to support relief efforts.

The Government Media Office estimated the storm caused damage of about $3 million. The ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza remains severe, with restrictions on aid and reconstruction materials complicating relief operations.