Storm Byron, a severe weather system that caused flooding in Greece and the island of Cyprus before reaching Gaza earlier this week, has now made landfall, flooding multiple displacement sites and placing nearly 795,000 displaced Palestinians at heightened risk, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday.
In a statement, IOM said that heavy rainfall has inundated hundreds of displacement sites, where even moderate rain can "quickly become dangerous," and is expected to continue in the coming hours.
Despite the ceasefire, displaced Palestinians remain in overcrowded areas with little protection from rising water levels, it noted.
Since Oct. 10, the agency said it has dispatched more than 1 million shelter items to partners in Gaza, including waterproof tents, thermal blankets, sleeping mats and tarpaulins, but warned that these supplies "cannot withstand flooding."
00:15Hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Gaza are facing yet another crisis,
00:21as heavy rains and flooding sweep through the territory,
00:25destroying tents, soaking bedding, and leaving families with nowhere dry or safe to go.
00:31The UN's International Organization for Migration, IOM,
00:36says essential materials needed to reinforce shelters,
00:40including timber, plywood, sandbags, and water pumps,
00:44are not being allowed into Gaza,
00:47worsening conditions for the nearly 1.5 million people still displaced by over two years of war.
00:54On Thursday, torrential rain triggered widespread flooding across the Gaza Strip.
01:00Local health officials reported the death of a baby girl from exposure,
01:05while the Hamas-run Gaza media office said 12 people are dead or missing,
01:1013 buildings collapsed, and 27,000 tents flooded.
01:15According to the IOM, about 795,000 people are at high risk in low-lying, rubble-filled areas
01:25with poor drainage and heaps of waste, creating ideal conditions for disease outbreaks.
01:31In the Nusrat camp, families spent the night standing in ankle-deep water.
01:37One resident, 50-year-old Yusef Tauta, worked tirelessly to bail water from his tent,
01:44using a bucket, only to watch it return again and again.
01:48His children stood near a small fire while he dragged a soaked mattress through the mud.
01:54Our food is ruined, he said, describing how even cooking had become nearly impossible.
02:01Look here, as you can see, he hasn't left his bed all morning. Oh my.
02:06The children, the children are sleeping in water.
02:10You see a girl in summer clothes, completely exposed.
02:13Since yesterday, we've been placing pots.
02:16Come see the pots, the containers, and the water flowing.
02:20See it for yourself.
02:21And since yesterday, we've been working.
02:23As you see, the tent is collapsing, and we go back to working.
02:27As you can see, this tent.
02:29Honestly, Hamad, there are six of us, and we need bedding.
02:33And the hardship, I was having lunch fully aware, because I saw a low pressure system.
02:39And I went back to the tent.
02:41You wouldn't believe it, inside it's all water, we're flooded.
02:44Even if we had water, we wouldn't know how to change it, as you can see.
02:48We don't even have a medical point.
02:50A medical point to change our dressings.
02:53We have nothing.
02:55What's our fault in this?
02:57I mean, really, there's no medical point, no needles at all.
03:01The IOM added that aid supplies already in Gaza, such as tarpaulins, blankets, and waterproof tents, could not withstand the storm, leaving families more exposed than ever.
03:23After this storm, families are trying to protect their children with whatever they have, said IOM Director General Amy Pope.
03:32Although a ceasefire has largely held since October, Gaza's infrastructure is shattered.
03:38The UN estimates 300,000 new tents are urgently needed.
03:44Meanwhile, the World Health Organization warns that over 4,000 people are sheltering in high-risk coastal zones, where strong waves and pollution from uncollected garbage pose severe health hazards.
03:58As winter intensifies, Gaza's displaced residents are caught in a deadly combination of harsh weather, destroyed infrastructure, and dwindling resources, with nowhere left to go and little protection against the storms still to come.
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