Gaza is reeling from the devastating impact of Storm Byron, which has claimed the lives of at least 14 Palestinians, including numerous children, amidst severe rainfall, powerful winds, and the collapse of fragile structures. The storm has tragically exacerbated the already dire humanitarian crisis faced by families displaced and rendered homeless by the ongoing conflict.
Reports detail multiple fatalities across the besieged enclave. In North Gaza’s Bir al-Na’aja district, five individuals perished when a building housing displaced persons collapsed under the storm’s fury. Gaza City’s Rimal area saw two deaths as a wall fell onto tents where people sought refuge. Another life was lost in the Shati refugee camp due to a structural collapse. The harsh conditions proved fatal for a newborn in Al-Mawasi, succumbing to the severe cold. Medical officials have expressed alarm over a concerning surge in child mortalities attributed to the plummeting temperatures and pervasive humidity. Further tragedies include the deaths of a 9-year-old girl in a western Gaza City shelter and another young child in Shati camp, both due to extreme cold. In Khan Younis, an 8-month-old infant died after rainwater inundated their tent; the family had been sheltering in a bomb-damaged, roofless home.
Storm Byron unleashed torrential downpours and fierce winds across Gaza, inundating thousands of makeshift tents and rendering them uninhabitable. Coastal areas are particularly vulnerable, with land subsidence posing an escalating threat to shelters near the sea. Officials estimate that the storm could impact approximately 850,000 residents currently living in hundreds of crowded shelters, with fears of further building collapses looming over Gaza City. The chronic shortage of adequate housing forces many to reside in precarious structures, amplifying the risks.
Palestinian authorities underscore that the vast majority of Gaza’s population remains displaced, grappling with severe shortages of basic shelter and essential aid amidst the unforgiving cold. The storm has compounded a protracted humanitarian catastrophe, intensifying the suffering of a populace already pushed to its limits. In response to the escalating crisis, the United Nations Special Representative for Palestine has called upon nations providing weaponry to Israel—specifically the USA, Germany, the UK, and Italy—to shoulder the financial burden of Gaza’s urgent reconstruction efforts.
