Gaza Municipality warns of looming humanitarian catastrophe as winter nears

A general view shows Palestinians struggling to survive in makeshift tents set up on the rubble of their destroyed homes at the Jabalia Refugee Camp in northern Gaza, as they face harsh living conditions and a lack of basic necessities amid falling temperatures following the war in Jabalia, Gaza on November 17, 2025. [Saeed M. M. T. Jaras – Anadolu Agency]

The Gaza Municipality has warned that the humanitarian situation in the city could deteriorate sharply with the arrival of winter rains, citing the collapse of sewage and water networks and the widespread destruction of housing infrastructure.

In a statement released Sunday, the municipality said any rainfall could worsen the suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced people living outdoors or in damaged tents, noting that 93 per cent of tents have either collapsed or become uninhabitable after nearly two years of war.

Officials cautioned that without an immediate delivery of relief supplies, fuel, and repair equipment, the already fragile sanitation and water systems could completely fail once heavy rains begin, heightening risks of flooding, disease outbreaks, and contamination.

“The tragedy of Gaza’s residents may worsen significantly in the coming weeks unless urgent international intervention is mobilised,” the municipality said, urging humanitarian organisations to act swiftly to prevent a larger catastrophe threatening civilian lives and public health.

READ: Gaza now has world’s highest child amputation rate, health ministry says

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