Rains flood Gaza displacement camps as Israeli authorities block entry of shelter materials into territory

Rains flood Gaza displacement camps as Israeli authorities block entry of shelter materials into territory

Thousands of tents sheltering displaced Palestinians have been flooded by heavy rains overnight, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation.

Scarce aid entering the territory has left tens of thousands of Palestinians in the war-torn enclave exposed to the elements for a fourth winter in a row- with no fuel and nothing but makeshift tents and shelters for protection.

Red Cross spokesperon Amani Al Naouq told Al Jazeera that she has seen footage of “entire families, entire camps” inundated with water and scrambling to drain their tents and protect their belongings and lives.

In October, Director General for the International Organization for Migration Amy Pope warned that nearly all of Gaza's population require shelter assistance, with the combined supply pipeline of humanitarian shelter partners covering barely 17 per cent of identified winter needs.

"Families who have already endured repeated displacement and devastating loss must be able to face the winter in safety and dignity," Pope said. "Shelter materials must enter quickly, predictably and at the scale required." 

Israel has continued to tightly restrict the entry of aid into the territory, with shelter items- including tent poles, construction materials and mobile homes- almost completely barred as the Israeli authorities consider them "dual use" items.

IOM said that around 8,600 IOM emergency shelter kits are waiting outside Gaza, but continue to be turned away from crossing points by the Israeli authorities.

This has forced humanitarian workers to repurpose salvaged materials to construct makeshift shelters, as storms turbochared by the strengthening El Niño phenomenon batter the territory.

“The solutions are known, the supplies are ready and humanitarian teams are prepared to deliver,” Pope said. “Immediate and sustained humanitarian access is essential to protect lives, strengthen damaged shelters, and help families move beyond temporary solutions. All parties must facilitate principled humanitarian action and support a response equal to the severity of the crisis.”