At least five Palestinians, including three children and an infant, died after a rain-soaked sand dune collapsed onto displacement tents in Gaza, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) reported. The collapse occurred at Al Berka Reservoir, west of Deir Al Balah, killing three children and two women while injuring one other person, according to local authorities.
The storm began lashing Gaza on Friday night, bringing rain and strong winds that flooded displacement sites, collapsed damaged buildings, and disrupted services across all five governorates. OCHA reported that water levels rose to 1.5 metres in some locations. Civil defence units received 2,166 distress calls but were only able to respond to 218.
UN Deputy Special Coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov stated from Ramallah that while rain cannot be prevented, more must be done to protect the vulnerable. He noted that most Gazans live in worn-out tents unable to withstand what would be considered a moderate storm elsewhere. Currently, about 1.4 million people, or 65 per cent of Gaza’s population, live in tents or makeshift shelters.
By 8 November, humanitarian partners received aid appeals from more than 26,000 households with damaged shelters or belongings. Reports indicate more than 6,000 family shelters were destroyed and 17,400 were damaged, leaving more than 3,900 households with no shelter at all. Partners have assessed the needs of 1,877 households and supported 422 households at 29 displacement sites so far.
The flooding also impacted infrastructure and safety. At least 55 learning spaces serving some 55,000 children were flooded, and health facilities were damaged, forcing some medical teams to suspend services. Mine action partners warned that floodwaters could expose or displace explosive ordnance. Residents in one Deir Al Balah tent camp reported that overflowing sewage surged in with the floodwater, soaking mattresses and clothing.
The UN and its partners are currently pumping out water, improving drainage, reinforcing sites with sandbags, repairing shelters, and delivering emergency supplies. However, humanitarian stocks of tents, tarpaulins, blankets, and clothes inside Gaza are virtually exhausted. More than 150,000 tents purchased by humanitarian partners and Member States are outside Gaza ready for dispatch, including about 117,000 from the Egyptian Relief Committee in Al-Arish.
Alakbarov called for the urgent lifting of all unnecessary restrictions and delays, specifically those preventing aid organizations from bringing in vacuum trucks, dewatering pumps, heavy machinery, engine oil, spare parts, tents, tarpaulins, plastic sheeting, blankets, and winter clothing. UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told a daily news briefing that Israeli efforts to facilitate rebuilding have been insufficient, stating, “We certainly can be getting more in. We just need the permissions from the Israeli authorities to get them in through the various checkpoints.”
While the storm caused widespread damage, Israeli strikes continue to hit populated areas. On Saturday, UN personnel visiting a displacement site in Gaza City had to take cover when gunfire erupted nearby.
