Hosni Mahna, the Gaza Municipality spokesperson, has told the Anadolu news agency that the ongoing storm hitting the Gaza Strip has caused severe damage to tents housing displaced Palestinian families, exacerbating their suffering, Al Jazeera reports.

“Heavy rain and strong winds have swept through shelters and makeshift camps causing dozens of tents to fly away and flooding others,” he said, adding that “the city of Gaza urgently requires 120,000 tents or suitable housing units”.

Mahna explained that the almost non-existent resources make it incredibly difficult to respond to the needs of the displaced.

“What we are witnessing today is a true humanitarian disaster,” Mahna said. “Families who have lost their homes are living in tragic conditions with no real solutions to protect them from the harsh winter cold.”

Mahna called on international and humanitarian organisations to take “immediate action to rescue thousands of families enduring unprecedented hardship”.