Heavy rain in Gaza has brought new concerns and challenges for Palestinians, many of whom are homeless and living in makeshift tents after weeks of Israeli bombardment, Reuters reports.

The start of the rainy season and the possibility of flooding increased fears that the densely populated enclave’s sewage system would be overwhelmed and disease would spread.

At a UN shelter in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the rain brought dismay for displaced people who woke to find the clothes they put out to dry the night had been drenched by rain.

“We were in a house built of concrete and now we are in a tent,” said Fayeza Srour, who sought safety in the south after Israel began its military offensive. “The nylon tarps, the tent, and the wood will not resist any flooding… People sleeping on the floor, what will they do? Where will they go?”

Another displaced Gazan, Karim Mreish, said people at the shelter were praying for the rain to stop.“Those children, those women, those elderly pray to God that it doesn’t rain,” he said. “If it does it will be very difficult and words will fail to describe our suffering.”