Heavy rain in central Gaza turned deadly late on Sunday when a sand embankment gave way above a camp for displaced families, burying tents under sand and rock and killing four people, including three children. The collapse, south of Deir al-Balah, has underlined the dangers facing displaced Palestinians as the first winter storm sweeps across the territory.
Medics said the rain washed away a rocky sand bank beside the camp late on Sunday night. A woman and two of her children, aged eight and six, were killed, along with a fourth child aged four. Six other people were injured. Gaza’s health ministry named the dead as Tahrir Nabhan and three children, Mariam Nabhan, her brother Salah, and Habiba al-Zein.
FAKTA
- What happened: A rain-soaked sand bank collapsed onto tents at a displacement camp south of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza late on Sunday.
- The dead: A woman and three children, aged eight, six and four.
- The injured: Six people were hurt, and survivors were pulled from the sand and rubble.
- Wider damage: At least 70,000 tents were flooded since heavy rain began on Saturday, and more than 26,000 households reported damage to shelters or belongings.
- The warning: Gaza’s civil defence says families often pitch tents beside sand banks for shelter, a choice that can turn deadly in storms.
Rescue in the dark
Residents rushed to the buried tents within minutes, digging with shovels, hammers and their bare hands to reach people trapped beneath the sand. Witnesses described a loud sound, like an explosion, as the embankment came down. Three tents were completely buried under sand and rocks, and the search for anyone still missing continued into Monday.
A winter of fear for displaced families
The tragedy came a day after torrential rain began flooding tent camps across Gaza on Saturday, leaving many families without a dry place to sleep. Local authorities said at least 70,000 tents were flooded in the first hours of the storm. The United Nations humanitarian office said its partners had received damage reports from more than 26,000 households.
The vast majority of Gaza’s population of around two million people now lives in tent encampments or in the ruins of bombed-out buildings, with reconstruction yet to begin following Israel’s two-year military assault, launched after the 2023 Hamas attacks on southern Israel. With winter approaching, aid groups warn that flimsy tents offer almost no protection against heavy rain, cold and strong winds.
Warnings as the storm season begins
Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for Gaza’s civil defence service, said families often place their tents beside sand banks because they believe the structures offer protection from wind and rain. He warned that the banks become unstable once soaked, and urged displaced families to move away from them before further storms arrive.
More rain is expected, and aid workers fear further flooding and collapses unless families can be moved to safer ground and given sturdier shelter.
Read more on Watan News.
