16 deaths in Gaza including three children due to cold, collapsed buildings: UNRWA report

• 16 people were killed in Gaza, including three children, due to heavy rain, cold weather, and building collapses.
• Over 79,000 people affected, living in more than 100 UNRWA schools converted into emergency shelters.
• UNRWA teams responding by clearing floodwaters, repairing tents, and distributing tarpaulins and other winter aid.
• Aid delivery hampered by 'Israeli' blockade, limiting the agency’s capacity to meet growing winter needs.
• Ongoing military strikes have damaged UNRWA facilities, causing additional casualties and worsening the humanitarian crisis.

Reports indicate that at least 16 people, including three children, have died in Gaza over the past few days due to heavy rainfall and cold weather brought by Storm Byron. Several buildings collapsed after being flooded, burying families taking shelter inside.

Overcrowded Shelters Exacerbate Crisis

The rains have worsened overcrowding and poor living conditions for more than 79,000 people residing in over 100 UNRWA schools converted into emergency shelters, including 85 sites managed by the agency. UNRWA teams continue pumping out floodwaters, clearing blocked drains, repairing damaged tents, and distributing tarpaulins and other materials to help families reinforce their shelters against ongoing winter conditions.

Humanitarian Response Hampered by Blockade

UNRWA warned that its capacity to meet growing winter needs is extremely limited due to the 'Israeli' blockade on its supply routes. The UNRWA Commissioner-General emphasized: “Supplies have been waiting for months to enter Gaza and are sufficient to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands living in extreme hardship. Broad and immediate access must be allowed to prevent putting more displaced families at serious risk.”

Ongoing 'Israeli' Military Strikes

In addition to the natural disaster, military operations have continued across Gaza. Most incidents occurred near the so-called “Yellow Line,” resulting in casualties. According to the Ministry of Health, as reported by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), since the ceasefire, 379 Palestinians have been killed and 992 injured, with 627 bodies recovered from rubble.

Damage to UNRWA Facilities

Many UNRWA facilities have been damaged amid escalating military operations. Reports indicate one person was killed and five others injured when an UNRWA school shelter was hit during an 'Israeli' airstrike. Separately, another UNRWA school in eastern Gaza, outside the “Yellow Line,” was severely damaged by a drone-launched tank explosion.

Winter Crisis Intensifies

The combination of severe weather, infrastructure collapse, and ongoing military strikes has created a compounding humanitarian crisis, leaving thousands of displaced families at heightened risk and underscoring the urgent need for unrestricted humanitarian aid to Gaza.