As Gaza floods overwhelm displacement sites, municipal teams in Al Maghazi refugee camp face a difficult trade-off: Pumping floodwaters out of shelters means taking away fuel needed to supply residents with drinkable water.

“The diesel we use for these pumps comes from the allocation for the wells that are supposed to pump water,” says municipal engineer Imad Abdel Jawad, and this is at a time when their supply is already insufficient.

Rainstorms swept through Gaza over the weekend of November 7 and 8, overwhelming damaged sewage networks and makeshift shelters. In some tents in Al Maghazi, the water was well over a foot deep, Jawad says.

Floodwater covers the ground around makeshift shelters and tents. Photograph: Getty Images

For Hanan Saied, 46, the storm soaked the bedding and clothing she shares with her seven children.…