OCHA: Humanitarians continue to rush aid to people impacted by severe rains

29 December 2025

OCHA says the humanitarian community in Gaza is providing emergency response as an ongoing rainstorm causes war-damaged buildings to collapse, floods tents and soaks people’s belongings.

Over the past 24 hours, weather conditions have led to further casualties and increased health risks, including hypothermia among babies and illnesses linked to overflowing sewage.

To respond swiftly to flood alerts, a system brings together UN agencies and non-governmental organizations to distribute tents, tarpaulins, warm clothes, blankets and dignity kits across Gaza. The UN and its partners are also mobilizing heavy equipment to pump overflowing sewage away from residential areas.

Separately, humanitarian teams are helping hundreds of people newly displaced from the  neighbourhood of At Tufah in Gaza city, where military operations have forced many from their homes. People who remain in or have returned to As Sanafour area of the neighbourhood, typically because of lack of space elsewhere, report significant challenges in accessing water, food and basic services.

Meanwhile, other relief operations under the UN-coordinated humanitarian plan for the ceasefire continue.

Between 23 and 26 December, partners leading on water, sanitation and hygiene dispatched tens of thousands of dignity kits, hygiene kits and bottles of shampoo across Gaza for some 150,000 people in need.

As of yesterday, partners working to mitigate food insecurity have reached more than one million people – half of Gaza’s population – through 60 distribution points with the monthly general food assistance for December. In parallel, to support local production and reduce aid dependency, they have distributed veterinary kits and animal feed to more than 2,000 families with livestock between 9 and 26 December.