Palestinians build homemade wind turbines from rubble to generate electricity

Kamal Al-Dabary, a former engineering student, builds homemade wind turbines from salvaged debris and scrap metal to provide electricity to displaced families in Khan Yunis, Gaza.

Dabary works in a displacement camp where most residents lack access to the shattered power grid. The World Bank states that more than 90 percent of Gaza's power generation and distribution capacity was destroyed in April 2026.

Because the price of a single solar panel now reaches at least 15,000 shekels, which is nearly $5,000, most residents cannot afford to purchase them. Dabary constructs the turbines using scooter motors and old water tanks that he cuts into blades. The wind turns these blades to power a motor, which creates electricity to charge phones and run lights, fans, and electric razors. He assembles the circuits from parts recovered from destroyed homes and stores the energy in batteries.

Neighbors like Saleh ben Hasan say the system changed everything for their community. The electricity helps families maintain small comforts and run essential medical equipment, such as a nebuliser for children. While the power output is modest, the residents use it to sustain themselves while living in tents and shelters.