Heavy rainfall has worsened the already dire humanitarian conditions facing displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, as shortages of emergency winter supplies and Israeli-imposed restrictions continue to hamper preparations for the winter season.

The United Nations office in Palestine warned that a lack of funding and months-long restrictions have severely undermined efforts to prepare for the harsh weather, adding that available stocks of emergency winter supplies remain insufficient to meet the growing needs of the population.

The latest downpours have flooded displacement camps, inundating makeshift tents and streets and leaving thousands of Palestinians exposed to cold, rain and increasingly dangerous living conditions.

Gaza's Civil Defense said it had received more than 1,500 distress calls from residents since early Saturday as floodwaters swept through displacement sites and building walls collapsed, causing injuries, some of them serious.

The worsening weather has further compounded the suffering of families who have been repeatedly displaced by Israel's genocidal war on Gaza and are now struggling to survive in overcrowded camps with inadequate shelter and limited access to essential supplies.

Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that restrictions on the entry of aid and shelter materials, combined with insufficient funding, are leaving displaced Palestinians increasingly vulnerable as winter approaches.

With heavy rains continuing to threaten makeshift shelters, urgent international action is needed to ensure the delivery of adequate tents, blankets, clothing and other essential winter supplies to Gaza's besieged population. (ILKHA)