An eight-month-old baby died of exposure to the cold weather in Gaza after water flooded her family's tent in Khan Younis.
Rahaf Abu Jazar lost her life as Storm Byron lashed Gaza with torrential rain on Thursday, flooding the tents of hundreds of displaced families and leaving her exposed to the harsh cold.
"When we woke up, we found the rain over her and the wind on her, and the girl died of cold suddenly," said her mother, Hejar Abu Jazar. "There was nothing wrong with her," she told Reuters, as she wept with her daughter in her arms.
Ismail Al Thawabta, director of the Gaza government media office, detailed the deadly impact of the storm – at least 12 people had been killed, 13 homes collapsed and 27,000 tents were flooded or uprooted.
“We are facing serious developments,” he told The National. “This has significantly worsened the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.”
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has warned of the effect of Storm Byron on Gaza, which has been devastated by Israel's war. "People who had already lost everything and need everything face another layer of misery," Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of UNRWA, said in a post on X. "More hardship for displaced families living in makeshift shelters with rain bringing floods, damage and additional health threats."
Despite a fragile ceasefire having been in place since early October, the humanitarian needs in the enclave are dire. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced from their homes during two years of Israeli attacks now shelter in tents that offer little protection against the cold.
At least 761 displacement sites hosting about 850,000 people are at high risk of flooding, the UN has warned. Thousands of people have moved because of the heavy rain.
Gaza's civil defence agency said it received more than 2,500 distress calls from people whose tents and shelters were damaged by the storm, but its teams were unable to cope because of fuel shortages and damage to equipment. Israel destroyed hundreds of vehicles, including bulldozers and others used to pump water, during the conflict, the agency said.
It also responded to calls for help after three buildings in Gaza city, already damaged by Israeli attacks, partially collapsed during the heavy rain. The agency warned people to avoid entering damaged buildings.
Humanitarian groups say too little aid has entering Gaza since the truce came into effect. UN and Palestinian officials said at least 300,000 new tents were urgently needed for the nearly 1.5 million people who are still displaced. Most existing shelters are worn out or are made of sheets of thin plastic and cloth.
Roland Friedrich, director of UNRWA affairs in the occupied West Bank, said people in Gaza face a "very serious situation" as the winter weather grips the enclave. "There are by far not enough tents and other shelter materials that are entering the Gaza Strip," he told The National. "It's a very serious situation, especially now with the rain and cold and people living in tents."
Flooding and bad weather in Gaza - in pictures
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Flooding after heavy rain in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. In addition, an eight-month-old baby girl died on December 11 due to extreme cold in the city. EPA -
Palestinians sift through what's left of a house that collapsed in heavy rain, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. Reuters -
Displaced Palestinians ride a donkey-drawn cart through the floodwater in Gaza city. Reuters -
The weather, brought by Storm Byron, has compounded matters for Gaza's estimated 1.5 million displaced residents. EPA -
A huge puddle at a makeshift camp in Zeitoun, Gaza city. AFP -
More wading needs to be done, in Deir Al Balah. AFP -
Gazans mourn the death of eight-month-old Rahaf Abu Jazar in Khan Younis. Photo: Anadolu
