• Strong winds and thick dust hit camps and displaced people
• Harsh conditions take a physical and psychological toll on children and families

A sandstorm swept across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, battering the tents of displaced families and deepening their suffering amid a severe lack of basic protection.

Powerful winds carried dust and sand from the Sinai Peninsula, creating choking conditions that weighed heavily on residents and raised concerns about the health of the sick and vulnerable.

Eyewitnesses said the fierce winds tore through and uprooted hundreds of tents made of nylon and worn fabric, leaving entire families — including children and the ill — exposed to blowing sand and dense dust.

Displaced people in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis described the situation as “catastrophic,” as sand buried their few belongings and bedding. Field medical points also reported a surge in cases of breathing difficulties and eye irritation, particularly among children and the elderly, many of whom already suffer from malnutrition and weakened immunity.

The Civil Defense and several relief organizations have called on the international community to urgently allow the entry of more durable weather-resistant tents, along with winter clothing and fuel. They warned that such weather conditions could accelerate the spread of respiratory and skin diseases in the overcrowded camps.

The storm came as a deep low-pressure system — similar to the seasonal “Khamsin” winds — pushed massive amounts of dust and sand toward the skies over Palestine and the eastern Mediterranean.