Families in Gaza Face Winter in Tents on the Beach

For many displaced families in Gaza, the arrival of winter brings a profound sense of feeling helpless as they struggle to survive in dilapidated tents along the coast. Near al-Qarara port, residents like Anas al-Shami are attempting to protect their children from encroaching seawater and freezing temperatures. After being forced to leave their homes in eastern Khan Younis, these families have found no alternative but to settle on the beach, where they face the constant threat of flooding and severe weather.

Living in overcrowded, makeshift shelters, parents report that they cannot provide basic necessities like dry mattresses or warm clothing. Last winter, many families experienced their tents being inundated by waves while they slept, leading to serious illnesses among children due to constant exposure to cold and damp conditions. The fear of these floods repeating is a nightly reality for those living on the shoreline.

Innovative barriers made from repurposed cooking pots are providing temporary protection against flooding for Gaza families.

Innovative barriers and the humanitarian crisis

To combat the rising seawater, the Mayasem Association, in collaboration with World Central Kitchen, has implemented an innovative solution. By filling damaged, discarded cooking pots with soil and stacking them, they have created 150-centimetre-high barriers that help deflect waves from the tent sites. While this initiative provides a measure of relief, aid organizations emphasize that it is merely a temporary fix for a much larger, systemic problem.

Gaza’s Winter Emergency Committee has warned of a worsening humanitarian catastrophe. The crisis is exacerbated by the fact that Israeli authorities continue to restrict the entry of essential building materials, caravans, and fuel. With approximately 70 percent of municipal operational equipment and 90 percent of civil defence rescue tools destroyed, the ability to respond to emergencies or clear roads is severely limited. Currently, around 200,000 tents are sheltering hundreds of thousands of people, with thousands of families situated in high-risk areas such as dry riverbeds and beaches.

Why it matters

The lack of safe shelter and construction materials leaves hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people, including children and those with disabilities, exposed to life-threatening conditions. This humanitarian situation highlights the critical need for international support to provide safe housing and essential resources to prevent further loss of life during the winter months.