Gaza Herald – Gaza Civil Defense reported that makeshift tents failed completely during the recent severe weather, offering no protection from freezing temperatures or torrential rain. Officials stressed that tents could no longer serve as a viable humanitarian solution under such harsh conditions.
Spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal said 18 residential buildings collapsed entirely, causing significant human and material losses since the storms began. The extreme weather also led to the deaths of 25 civilians, including six children, due to cold exposure and structural collapses.
More than 110 buildings suffered partial but critical damage, posing immediate threats to thousands of residents living inside or nearby. Civil Defense teams received over 700 emergency calls during the storm, ranging from water rescues to addressing collapsed structures.
Over 90% of displaced families’ tents were destroyed or flooded, leaving thousands without temporary shelter. The harsh conditions also ruined clothes, mattresses, and blankets, worsening the humanitarian crisis across Gaza.
Bassal renewed urgent calls to the international community to act immediately, provide life-saving aid, and supply emergency housing to prevent the disaster from escalating further.
