Families in Gaza build seawater barriers from cooking pots to protect tents

Displaced families in Gaza are living in dilapidated tents on the coast near al-Qarara port to escape overcrowded displacement areas. These residents face constant threats from winter rain and rising seawater, which flooded shelters during the previous winter and caused serious illnesses among children.

Anas al-Shami and Ibrahim Abu Tair are among the families who have moved to the beach because high rental costs and overcrowding made other locations inaccessible.

These families live in tents that offer little protection against wind and dampness. Residents expressed fear that waves will again inundate their bedding and belongings as winter approaches. The Mayasem Association, which works with World Central Kitchen, is helping families by turning damaged cooking pots into makeshift seawall barriers. Workers fill these large pots with soil and stack them to a height of approximately 150 centimetres to block water from reaching the tents.

This initiative began to protect the association's education and cultural spaces before expanding to help displaced families. The Winter Emergency Committee warned that these measures are only temporary. The committee stated that Israeli authorities continue to prevent the entry of tents, caravans, and construction materials into the Gaza Strip.

Additionally, the committee reported that Israeli forces destroyed about 70 percent of municipalities’ essential operational equipment and 90 percent of civil defence rescue equipment, which limits the ability to respond to floods.