The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said on Monday that approximately 235,000 people in the Gaza Strip were affected by Storm Byron, which struck the besieged enclave between December 10 and 17, causing the collapse of buildings and widespread damage to tents and temporary shelters.

In a statement published on its official X account, UNRWA said months of relentless Israeli bombardment and mass displacement have left Palestinians in Gaza living amid unstable rubble, makeshift shelters and severely worn tents, making them extremely vulnerable to harsh weather conditions.

Describing Storm Byron as a natural weather event with devastating consequences, the agency stressed that its impact was “man-made,” pointing to the extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure and the absence of safe shelter following Israel’s ongoing genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

According to data from the Gaza Shelter Cluster — a coordination body that includes UN agencies and humanitarian organizations — at least 17 buildings collapsed during the storm, while more than 42,000 tents and temporary shelters were either completely or partially damaged. The destruction has directly affected at least 235,000 displaced Palestinians.

UNRWA further reported that since the arrival of severe weather systems in Gaza earlier this month, at least 18 people, including four children, have lost their lives. Nearly 90 percent of shelters housing displaced families whose homes were destroyed by Israeli attacks have been flooded, compounding an already dire humanitarian situation.

Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that Gaza’s displaced population is facing life-threatening conditions as winter storms, shortages of basic supplies and the near-total collapse of infrastructure intersect with ongoing military aggression.

UNRWA and other aid organizations continue to call for an immediate ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access and the entry of shelter materials, stressing that without urgent international action, the suffering of Gaza’s civilian population will continue to worsen. (ILKHA)