As storm clouds gathered over southern Gaza last week, the inhabitants of the makeshift tent cities lining the coast could only watch helplessly, knowing the harsh reality that awaited them. For the approximately 500,000 Palestinians crammed into al-Mawasi's coastal zone, this winter marks the third consecutive season of displacement since the conflict began in October 2023.
Storm Exposes Fragile Living Conditions
When the tempest struck, Sabah al-Breem, a 62-year-old grandmother originally from Khan Younis, was sheltering with her daughter and grandchildren in their temporary home constructed from tarpaulins and salvaged wood. The violent winds and driving rain destroyed their fragile shelter not once, but twice, leaving all their possessions soaked and the family exposed to the elements.
"The day the winds blew was a black day for us," al-Breem recounted, her voice echoing the despair felt throughout the displacement camps. Her family has been forced to move multiple times since the war began, joining the more than two million Palestinians in Gaza who continue to face a severe humanitarian crisis despite surviving the two-year conflict.
According to aid agencies, shelter represents the most urgent need. Most homes in Gaza have been either destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by successive Israeli military operations, or they now lie east of the newly established "yellow line" dividing the territory between Israeli military control and areas under de facto Hamas authority.
Aid Shortages Compound the Crisis
In the storm's aftermath, the scenes in displacement camps like those in Deir al-Balah revealed the depth of the struggle. Barefoot children splashed through muddy puddles while women attempted to make tea outdoors beneath threatening skies. Some sought refuge in damaged buildings, even those at risk of collapse, covering gaping holes with plastic sheeting.
Food shortages rank as the second most critical concern after shelter. Although Donald Trump's 20-point ceasefire agreement called for "full aid" to enter Gaza, and some increase in supplies has been noted, both residents and humanitarian officials confirm that the quantities remain woefully inadequate.
A senior official from a major international NGO explained the situation last week: "Is it better? Yes... in the sense that people aren't starving any more. Is it enough? Absolutely not. We have massive stockpiles of tents and tarpaulins and we can't get them in."
The official highlighted ongoing obstacles, noting that Israel continues to block the Rafah crossing from Egypt, though some smaller crossings from Israel have reopened. Most supplies now enter through private commercial operators or donors from Gulf countries, while UN agencies face daunting bureaucratic processes that severely hamper distribution efforts.
Daily Struggles and Health Concerns
For those with funds, tents can be purchased in local markets for approximately $800, but few in al-Mawasi have any cash remaining after two years of conflict. Most Palestinians throughout the territory cannot afford basic necessities like food, medicine, or scarce cooking gas.
Maher Abu Jerad, a 29-year-old former painter from Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, described his family's existence: "Sometimes we receive one meal from the public kitchen every three days – usually lentils or rice. The food in the market remains completely unaffordable."
Water access presents another daily challenge. "We have to bring it from a long distance, and it does not last the whole day. We only have three containers that we fill for daily use," Abu Jerad explained.
Healthcare workers report deteriorating conditions as winter approaches. Mohammed Madhoun, a community healthcare worker at a Medical Aid for Palestinians clinic in Deir al-Balah, warned: "With no basic infrastructure or proper drainage in the camps, rainwater is collecting around the tents. Overcrowding and the limited access to clean water are also making the sanitation situation much worse."
The recent storm scattered tents across streets and beaches, with seawater surges engulfing many coastal shelters. "The sound of the waves prevents us from sleeping," said al-Breem. "We barely sleep an hour or less, and the seawater reaches the tents when the waves crash."
She detailed the mounting health concerns: "We lack all winter essentials: no blankets, no rugs, no bedding. Diseases have spread among us: colds, coughs, aches... and this is just at the start of winter."
Political Context and Personal Pleas
The conflict that triggered this mass displacement began in October 2023 when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 others. Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has resulted in 69,100 Palestinian deaths, predominantly civilians, and reduced much of the territory to rubble.
While the first stage of the ceasefire agreement, involving partial Israeli withdrawal and hostage returns, nears completion, critical questions remain about how Hamas will be disarmed under the subsequent phase endorsed by the UN Security Council.
Amid the political negotiations, the human suffering continues unabated. Naama Arafat, 53, now living on al-Mawasi's shore, remembers her "beautiful life" before the war in her "small, simple, warm house" east of Khan Younis.
"We wore our warm clothes, and mattresses and blankets were plentiful... Now, we cannot even light a fire to cook food because of the strong winds and the lack of wood and supplies," she lamented.
Her final words serve as both a prayer and a plea to the international community: "I say a message to the world: to look at us with mercy and offer us help, for we have entered a very harsh winter season."
