World

Heavy Rain in Gaza Floods Homes, Damages Solar Power and Threatens Health Services

By Lina Ghassan Abu Zayed

Heavy rain in Gaza has flooded shelters, damaged solar power systems and jeopardised essential health services. In Deir el‑Balah, 65‑year‑old Abu Sajed set up buckets and pots around his modest room to cope with the rising water. The stone walls and tarpaulin roof offered little protection, forcing him and his family to move to the only dry part of the room and wait for the rain to stop. Abu Sajed, who has diabetes, found his blood glucose monitor soaked and inoperable. The family’s solar power system, used for lighting and charging phones, was also damaged, and water flooded his daughter’s neighbouring tent, destroying the inverter connected to her solar system. He said, “I could not protect myself or my family. Even going to the toilet had become difficult because of all the water.” After the rain ceased, he slipped on the muddy floor and fell; his wife and daughter had to lift him, leaving him feeling helpless and exhausted.

The impact extends beyond flooded shelters. Gaza’s electricity crisis is worsened by the rain, which has damaged equipment and caused generators to malfunction. Abu Zayed Electricity Company, despite preparations for winter, could not prevent water from entering several facilities. The company temporarily suspended services at affected branches to avoid electrical contact and short circuits. Aya Shaheen, the company’s general manager, explained that distribution panels and electricity metres were covered with plastic sheeting and tarpaulins, exposed wires were insulated, and municipalities were asked to pump out accumulated water. However, the damage exceeded available resources. “We continue to face major obstacles because of the extensive destruction of infrastructure,” she said.

UNICEF reports that the recent rainfall affected more than 106,000 people. About 950,000 displaced people live in flood‑prone areas, including 400,000 in particularly high‑risk locations. A joint assessment by the World Bank, the United Nations and the European Union estimated that 80 percent of electricity generation and distribution assets had been destroyed or rendered inoperable during the war.

Mohammed Abu Khaled, an engineer specialising in energy systems and equipment used in the health sector, warned that rainwater entering solar systems can damage batteries and inverters, causing short circuits and corrosion of electronic circuits. He said the inverter is the weakest link and the component most likely to fail. He estimated that malfunctions in household solar systems and those used in displacement camps increased by more than 40 to 50 percent following recent rainfall. Repairing a damaged inverter can cost between $200 and $500, while families may have to replace an entire battery if it is damaged. Solar panels’ electricity output can also drop by 60 to 80 percent on cloudy days, slowing battery charging and reducing the hours households can rely on stored electricity.

The risks become more serious when rainwater reaches hospital equipment. Many health facilities have been forced to operate from prefabricated structures and temporary buildings that offer inadequate protection against the weather. Abu Khaled said strong winds and heavy rainfall can cause water to seep into hospital departments, exposing operating‑room equipment, portable oxygen generators, vital‑signs monitors, laboratory devices and lighting systems to moisture and damage. Some equipment has already been affected by damp conditions, adding pressure to healthcare facilities struggling with severely limited resources.

As rainfall continues, Gaza’s residents face another winter with little infrastructure to protect them and few resources to replace damaged belongings and equipment. With water seeping into shelters, electricity systems at risk of failure and medical equipment increasingly vulnerable, the weather is adding another burden to families struggling to maintain the most basic conditions for survival amid the destruction.