Heavy rains flood tens of thousands of tents housing displaced residents of Gaza

After heavy rains, around 70,000 tents housing displaced residents have been flooded in the Gaza Strip. A UNICEF representative links the worsening crisis to Israeli restrictions on the entry of machinery and materials and to reduced UN funding.

Otabek YusupovFirst published on tafs uz 8 November 2026 at 02:032 min read

The key facts

The Hamas-run Gaza government reports around 70,000 tents flooded; there are injuries from collapsing walls and roofs.
UNICEF: almost all residents need help; shortage of tarpaulin and tents due to UN budget cuts.
The ceasefire has been in effect since October of last year, but strikes continue; the US peace plan has stalled.

Flooding of tents and shortage of shelters

Heavy rains have flooded tens of thousands of tents housing displaced residents of the Gaza Strip. The Hamas-run Gaza government estimated the number of flooded tents at around 70,000 and reported injuries, some of them critical, caused by the collapse of cracked walls and roofs. Residents bailed water out of their tents with pots and basins; some were left without shelter. This is reported by BBC News citing statements by Gaza authorities and accounts from residents.

What is making the situation worse: restrictions and funding cuts

Jonathan Veitch, UNICEF's representative in Palestine, speaking from Deir al-Balah, described the situation as desperate and linked its worsening to Israeli restrictions on the entry of heavy machinery and materials such as motor oil. Israel says it restricts the entry of items into Gaza that could be used for military purposes. According to UNICEF, about 90% of Gaza's residents have been displaced, many of them repeatedly, with limited access to clean water and sanitation. Veitch also noted that due to UN budget cuts there is less tarpaulin, plastic sheeting and tents in the Strip, so organizations have to choose whom to help — and after the flooding, he said, 'almost everyone needs help.' He warned that without urgent action, more deaths from hypothermia could occur, as happened last winter.

Context of the ceasefire and ongoing strikes

The ceasefire in Gaza has been in effect since October of last year: thousands of Palestinians held by Israel were released in exchange for all 48 remaining hostages. However, Israeli airstrikes continue almost daily; according to Gaza's health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable, 1,580 people have been killed since the ceasefire began. The peace plan brokered by the Trump administration has stalled. Since the war triggered by Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, 74,594 people have died in Gaza according to local authorities. Aid is also hampered by a lack of funding: back in October, the World Food Programme reported a reduction in aid to Gaza due to a funding shortfall.