UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory Francesca Albanese has condemned the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza, describing the plight of children forced to endure freezing temperatures in rain-flooded tents as "the shame of our time."

In a post on X, Albanese expressed outrage over images showing displaced Palestinian children living in tents flooded with cold rainwater, without adequate protection against harsh winter conditions.

"The words of Primo Levi come to mind, which every European learns by heart at school but forgets as soon as they enter the world of politics or diplomacy," she wrote, criticizing the international community's failure to respond adequately to the suffering of Palestinians.

Her remarks come as a powerful storm accompanied by heavy rainfall and strong winds has further worsened the humanitarian catastrophe across the besieged Gaza Strip, flooding tens of thousands of makeshift shelters and leaving displaced families exposed to the elements.

According to Gaza's Government Media Office (GMO), approximately 70,000 displacement tents were flooded during the storm, leaving thousands of families struggling to find adequate shelter.

The humanitarian crisis has also turned deadly. The collapse of sand embankments onto displacement tents in Deir al-Balah killed four Palestinians, including a mother and her two children, the GMO reported.

The latest casualties highlight the life-threatening conditions facing displaced Palestinians, many of whom have been forced to seek refuge in deteriorating tents and makeshift shelters after repeated Israeli attacks destroyed large parts of Gaza's residential infrastructure.

In August, the GMO reported that more than 2.15 million Palestinians were living in dire humanitarian conditions, including approximately 867,000 people sheltering in deteriorating tents and more than one million others residing in displacement shelters.

Despite the ceasefire, displaced families continue to face severe shortages of adequate housing and basic necessities, while winter rains and falling temperatures are adding to the suffering of an already devastated population.

The worsening conditions have renewed concerns over the failure to ensure adequate humanitarian assistance and safe shelter for Palestinians in Gaza, particularly women and children. (ILKHA)