Rain floods Gaza camps as bombed buildings risk collapse
Written by AI from aljazeera.com's report. Not checked by a person.
Heavy rain has flooded tents and camps across Gaza, while buildings damaged by Israeli bombardment risk collapse. The UN says about 950,000 displaced people live in areas exposed to flooding.
Heavy rain and strong winds have flooded camps and cities across Gaza, where many Palestinians are spending a fourth winter away from their homes. Water levels rose by 30 to 40cm at several camps after Saturday's rain, and the civil defence agency received hundreds of calls.
In al-Mina camp in northern Gaza, home to about 1,700 families, tents were flooded and the ground turned to muddy pools. Rana Adnan Hmeida, 29, said her bedding, blankets and clothes were soaked, and her two-month-old daughter was freezing. Raed Abu Amsha, 40, said his tent collapsed on his family, including nine children in his care, four of them from his late brother.
In Nuseirat camp, families in bomb-damaged buildings face another danger. Nasser al-Hajj, 54, lives in a tower block struck in September 2025. Debris fell into his home, leaving a hole in the ceiling through which rain enters. An engineer warned him that more rubble could fall if bad weather returns.
The UN's OCHA says about 950,000 displaced people live in flood-exposed areas, and about 44,000 live in structurally unsafe buildings. More than 4,000 buildings may need full or partial demolition. Available supplies cover only 18 percent of shelter needs.
Gaza Municipality spokesperson Hosni Muhanna said damaged drainage and sewage networks and out-of-service pumping stations mean the system can handle no more than 20 percent of rainwater. He said more than 2,000 buildings in Gaza City are at risk of collapse.
