The powerful winter storm “Byron” has swept across the region this week, bringing heavy rainfall that has devastated large parts of Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are living in tents that offer no protection from the elements. As the storm intensified overnight, families reported their shelters collapsing, flooding or being carried away by strong gusts of wind.
Director of Health in Gaza, Munir Al-Barsh:
Gaza is now drowning in rain, just as it drowned in blood.
Videos shared online show desperate parents clutching at tent poles as the fabric rips under the pressure of the storm, with children crying from the cold as water pours onto their blankets and mattresses. In some camps, residents stood ankle-deep in muddy water, trying to salvage the few belongings they had managed to hold onto through months of displacement.
Journalist Moatasem A. Dalloul posted a weather alert on X, writing: “Heavy and long rain spell is to hit Gaza in the coming hours… Displaced persons, including me, are living in tattered tents after the IDF had destroyed our homes and forced us out of our cities. Pray for us.”
Another displaced resident, Muhammad Smiry, wrote on Tuesday night that tents were already flooding, leaving families with nowhere dry to sleep.
Rainwater floods the tents of displaced people.
The storm’s arrival has highlighted the extreme vulnerability of Gaza’s displaced population, now entering its third winter of mass homelessness and infrastructural collapse. Humanitarian groups have long warned that any severe weather event could unleash catastrophic conditions, particularly in low-lying camps where drainage systems no longer function and sewage mixes with floodwater.
Osama Abu Rabee, who has been documenting life in the camps, described the scene as “thousands of displaced people facing the storm in worn-out tents and a severe shortage of winter supplies, increasing the suffering of families and children amid the cold and rain.” He noted that many children lack warm clothing, and some families have no blankets left after their tents were torn apart by the storm.
Local responders say they have received dozens of reports of tents collapsing entirely, especially near Rafah and Khan Yunis, where much of Gaza’s displaced population is concentrated. Families who lost their shelters overnight have been forced to seek temporary refuge in the few remaining schools or public buildings still standing, though these facilities are overcrowded and lack heating.
The flooding has also compounded health risks. In areas where water pooled for hours, residents reported an increase in respiratory illnesses, fevers and skin infections–conditions that are expected to worsen as temperatures continue to drop. Some camps saw makeshift kitchens washed away, leaving families unable to cook or boil water.
As the storm is expected to continue through Friday, displaced residents are terrified of additional damage. Many camps are located on sandy or unstable ground, making them especially prone to erosion and collapse. “I swear to god we snatched the child from the water,” one resident said in a video circulating online. “Tell me of people who are willing to live like this.”