GENEVA

Storm Byron, a severe weather system that caused flooding in Greece and the island of Cyprus before reaching Gaza earlier this week, has now made landfall, flooding multiple displacement sites and placing nearly 795,000 displaced Palestinians at heightened risk, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday.

In a statement, IOM said that heavy rainfall has inundated hundreds of displacement sites, where even moderate rain can "quickly become dangerous," and is expected to continue in the coming hours.

Despite the ceasefire, displaced Palestinians remain in overcrowded areas with little protection from rising water levels, it noted.

Since Oct. 10, the agency said it has dispatched more than 1 million shelter items to partners in Gaza, including waterproof tents, thermal blankets, sleeping mats and tarpaulins, but warned that these supplies "cannot withstand flooding."

"People in Gaza have lived through loss and fear for far too long," IOM Director General Amy Pope said. "Now, after this storm made landfall yesterday, families are trying to protect their children with whatever they have. They deserve more than this uncertainty. They deserve safety."

"Immediate and unhindered access is essential so tools and supplies can reach those who are doing everything they can to hold their lives together in these extremely difficult conditions," she added.

Basic tool kits, sandbags, water pumps and construction materials remain delayed due to access restrictions, IOM said, despite being critical to reinforcing shelters and mitigating floods.

"Yesterday we witnessed widespread flooding, and with infrastructure already devastated, the rainfall caused severe damage," Haitham Aqel, the emergency and relief team leader for the Palestinian Housing Council, said. "We used sandbags to create drainage, but many people’s bedding and mattresses were damaged as water entered through worn-out tents."