The first heavy rains of the season are exacerbating the plight of many people in the Gaza Strip.
The civil defence authority, which is controlled by the Palestinian militant organization Hamas, reported on Friday that thousands of tents for internally displaced people had been affected by flooding due to the heavy rain.
A spokesman for the authority described the situation as a disaster.
Palestinian and social media have shared videos showing people in the Gaza Strip trying to remove large amounts of water from their tents with buckets.
A ceasefire in the Gaza war has been in place since October 10, but many people continue to live in precarious conditions in the extensively destroyed area. Many temporary dwellings offer no protection from the weather.
One woman, 32-year-old Amal Abu Hassan, told dpa that the tent belonging to her family was flooded last night. “All our bedding, clothes and some of our food supplies are ruined,” said the distraught mother of four from Gaza City.
Fatima al-Masri, who is 28 and from the city of Deir al-Balah located in the central section of the Gaza Strip, said that the wet conditions are making life unbearable. Her children are coughing and the streets are flooded. Her family has lost everything and has not yet received any help, she said.
Ahmed al-Khatib, 45, from the city of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip, said all his belongings are soaked. “We have nowhere dry to sleep.” He also reported power outages due to fallen pylons in his area.
A Palestinian boy walks by tents along the wet ground on a rainy day, during a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas Mohammed Skaik/TheNEWS2 via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa