Winter arrived in Gaza last month with heavy storms. When I woke up in the middle of the night, I was devastated. Our tent was flooded with water, turning the “floor” into a shallow pool. The mattress and pillows were completely soaked, the pots were soaked, the clothes were soaked, and even the bag that served as a “closet” was filled with water. Nothing remained dry inside.
While I was trying to understand what was happening, I suddenly heard children crying at the entrance to the tent. When I hurriedly opened it, I saw three children living in the tent next to me, their lips blue from the cold, and their mother shivering behind them, saying:
The same tragic scenes were repeated around us, with women, children and the elderly sitting on the streets in the rain, their bedding soaking wet, their belongings scattered, and confusion and cries filling the air.
On that day, all 1.4 million Palestinian refugees without proper shelter suffered, unable to protect themselves from the weather and sudden storms.
In our case, the sun barely came out, so it took two full days for our belongings to dry. Everything remained cold and damp. We didn’t move to another location. With nowhere else to go, we stayed there and tried to salvage what we could.
Just a week later, an even stronger winter storm arrived with heavy rain. The tent was flooded again. The little children were frozen again by the rain.
This week we were flooded again when Storm Byron hit. Despite all efforts to reinforce and secure the tent and introduce stronger tarpaulins, nothing worked. The wind became stronger, the rain became heavier, and water was rushing inward from all directions. The ground no longer absorbs anything. The water began to rise rapidly beneath our feet, turning the area into a swamp.
At least 27,000 tents were destroyed by strong winds, authorities said. These 27,000 families were already facing hardship and now have nothing, no shelter, no place to protect themselves from the rain and cold.
The rain also destroyed the houses where people had taken shelter. Every time there is a storm or strong wind, we hear the sound of debris and concrete pillars falling from badly damaged buildings nearby. This time, the situation was dire, with 11 people killed by the collapsed building.
After everything we have endured, it is clear that we, like other displaced Palestinians, will not be able to survive a third winter in these harsh conditions. We survived two winters as refugees, living in tents with no protection from the cold or rain, patiently waiting for a ceasefire to end our suffering. A ceasefire was finally achieved, but no relief was received. We remain in the same place, under tents battered by the sun and wind, exhausted by malnutrition and disease.
We are a family of seven living in a 4 x 4 meter (13 ft x 13 ft) tent. We have two children, ages 5 and 10, and an 80-year-old grandmother. As adults, we can overcome the cold and hardships. But how can the elderly and children endure our daily life?
We sleep with our mattresses pressed directly to the ground, the cold creeping in from below and above, and two blankets are not enough to protect us from the freezing nights. Everyone in the tent has two blankets, but it’s barely enough to provide temporary warmth. There is no heating source, no electricity, no heater. Your tired body just tries to share the warmth it has left.
My grandmother can’t stand the cold at all. I saw her shivering all night and putting her hands on her chest as if trying to support herself. All we can do is pile all the blankets we have over her and watch anxiously until she falls asleep.
Many people in Gaza live in far worse conditions than we do.
Most families who just want a modest tent over their head can’t afford it. Tents can cost up to $1,000. The rent you have to pay to pitch a tent on your land can be as much as $500. Those who cannot pay are living in makeshift shelters on the streets.
For example, Salahuddin Street is crowded with them. Most simply hang or wrap a blanket in a small space to minimize privacy and do not provide protection from the rain or cold. Any strong wind will cause them to burst.
Some children live directly on the streets and sleep on the cold ground. Many people lost their mothers and fathers during the war. As I pass by, I see them, sometimes silent, sometimes crying, sometimes looking for something to eat.
Despite repeated promises of aid and reconstruction, supplies trickling into Gaza have made little difference on the ground. Earlier this month, the United Nations announced that it had been able to distribute just 300 tents in November. 230,000 households each received one food parcel.
We never received any food parcels. There are simply too many people in need, and too little quantity for everyone to have access to. Even if you receive it, its contents will only last a week or two.
Food prices remain high. Nutritious items such as meat and eggs are either unavailable or too expensive. Most families have not had an adequate protein diet for months.
Due to a lack of equipment, there has been no large-scale campaign to clear debris and clear the ground so people can pitch tents. No steps have been taken to provide permanent housing for the family.
All of this means that we now face terrifying possibilities. Living in tents that can flood or be torn apart by the wind at any time may become a long-term reality. This is an unbearable feeling.
During the shelling, we lived with constant fear of death, and perhaps the intensity of the war overshadowed everything else: the cold, the rain, the swaying tents overhead. But now that the mass bombing has ceased, we are faced with the full ugliness of Gaza’s “new normal.”
I fear this winter will be even tougher for Gaza. With no heat, no proper shelter, and the weather worsening by the day, many deaths can occur among children, the elderly, and the chronically ill. The first deaths due to hypothermia have already been reported – infants Rahaf Abu Jazar and Tayim Al Khawaja, and nine-year-old Hadir Al Masri. If the world is serious about ending the genocide in Gaza, it must take real and urgent action to ensure at least the basic conditions for survival, such as food, housing and health care.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of Al Jazeera.
