Photos: Winter storms worsen Gaza living conditions
Winter storms kill displaced Palestinians in Gaza left to shelter in flimsy tents by ceasefire abuses.
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A protester holds up a sign during a protests at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis, US. [Octavio Jones/AFP]
Protesters hold signs as they march from Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota. [Octavio Jones/AFP]
People protest against ICE after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. [Charly Triballeau/AFP]
People wave flags and hold signs during a protest in Los Angeles, California. [Etienne Laurent/AFP]
People hold signs as they protest against ICE in Los Angeles. [Etienne Laurent/AFP]
A demonstrator holds a sign during a protest in Houston, Texas. [Mark Felix/AFP]
Protesters gather outside the ICE field office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [Matthew Hatcher/AFP]
Demonstrators march through the streets during a demonstration in Boston, Massachusetts. [Joseph Prezioso/AFP]
People rally against ICE outside 26 Federal Plaza in New York. [Angelina Katsanis/AFP]
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Civilians carry their bags and belongings as they flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Aleppo, Syria. [Mahmoud Hassano/Reuters]
Syrian civil defence employees assist an elderly woman displaced from the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in the city of Aleppo. [Omar Haj Kadour/AFP]
The Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces traded blame over who started the deadly clashes on January 6. [Omar Haj Kadour/AFP]
The Syrian Army Operations Command released a map of what it said were SDF military positions in the neighbourhoods, urging civilians to stay away, and warned Kurdish-led forces not to target people trying to leave. [Mahmoud Hassano/Reuters]
Aleppo’s Directorate of Social Affairs and Labour said more than 138,000 people had been displaced from Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh due to the fighting. [Omar Haj Kadour/AFP]
Syrian residents in vehicles try to flee from the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods after clashes broke out. [Omar Albam/AP Photo]
“We fled the clashes, and we don’t know where to go … Fourteen years of war, I think that’s enough,” Ahmed, a 38-year-old man who gave only his first name, told the AFP news agency while carrying his son on his back. [Mahmoud Hassano/Reuters]
Another displaced resident, 41-year-old Ammar Raji, said he and his family were “forced to leave because of the difficult circumstances”. Raji said, “I have six children, including two young ones … I am worried we will not return.” [Omar Haj Kadour/AFP]
The clashes marked the fiercest fighting between the army and the SDF since the two sides have failed to implement a March agreement to integrate the Kurdish-led forces into Syria’s new state institutions. [Omar Haj Kadour/AFP]
Schools, universities and government offices in Aleppo were shut down on Wednesday, and authorities announced the suspension of flights to and from the city’s airport until Thursday evening. [Mahmoud Hassano/Reuters]
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Worshippers gather on the eve of Orthodox Christmas at Meskel Square in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.[Amanuel Sileshi/AP Photo]
Clergy prepare for the arrival of Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III to the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, to celebrate Christmas according to the Eastern Orthodox calendar, in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. [Mahmoud Illean/AP Photo]
Palestinian scout bands parade through Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. [Mahmoud Illean/AP Photo]
People attend an Orthodox Christmas service outside the Kashveti Church of St George in Tbilisi, Georgia. [Zurab Tsertsvadze/AP Photo]
A Coptic Orthodox bishop leads Christmas prayers at Archangel Michael Church in Cairo, Egypt. [Amr Nabil/AP Photo]
Iranian Christians attend a service celebrating Orthodox Christmas at St Sarkis Armenian Cathedral in Tehran. [Atta Kenare/AFP]
People burn dried oak branches, symbolising the Yule log, on Orthodox Christmas Eve in front of the Church of St Sava in Belgrade, Serbia. [Darko Vojinovic/AP Photo]
A woman lights a candle during a Christmas service at the Kronstadt Naval Cathedral in St Petersburg, Russia. [Olga Maltseva/AFP]
Worshippers receive communion during a Christmas service at the Syriac Orthodox Church in Sulaimaniyah, a neighbourhood in Aleppo, Syria. [Kasim Yusuf/Anadolu]
Orthodox Christians attend a Christmas Eve service at the Church of St Clement of Ohrid in Skopje, North Macedonia. [Umeys Sulejman/Anadolu]
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Across Aceh Tamiang, those with houses still standing are trying desperately to clear mud and debris from their properties. But many people have been left with nothing. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]
Some villages have been almost wiped out, and many say they are not receiving the help they need. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]
Massiani is living in a tent with her extended family. There are at least 14 of them sharing one tent. She said she is thankful to have received a tent after sheltering under scrap plastic for days. She, however, said there is still no toilet nearby, and the conditions are not sanitary. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]
Al Jazeera observed that some households have received tents from government agencies, but many families are still staying in shelters they assembled on their own, using plastic scraps and debris from the floods. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]
Rahmadani and her son Dimas. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]
Debris is still scattered throughout Aceh Tamiang, and thick mud covers the area. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]
Nuraini said her home, which once belonged to her parents, was destroyed and covered in logs. Her possessions, like her kitchen appliances, are broken and scattered everywhere, and covered in mud. “Our lives are difficult. We are like beggars, asking for help here and there. We have to wait for people to give us rice just so we can eat.” [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]
Environmental groups say deforestation on the island of Sumatra has made communities more vulnerable to extremely severe natural disasters because the capacity of the ecosystem to absorb water has been undermined. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]
Juliette Apin has run a furniture store in Aceh Tamiang since 1993. “Our merchandise is scattered everywhere, fallen and damaged. Our losses amount to hundreds of millions of rupiah,” she said. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]
The floods and landslides mark the deadliest disaster in Indonesia since the 2018 earthquake and tsunami in Sulawesi. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]
Aceh is the worst-affected among the three provinces, with nearly 40,000 homes destroyed. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]
People in Aceh Tamiang said they felt as though they were starting from nothing. Many said they were hoping they would be relocated. Temporary housing units are under construction in Aceh Tamiang. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]
Juliette and her workers have been cleaning out the store since the floodwaters receded. Juliette said 95 percent of their products have been destroyed, and need to be thrown away. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]
Many parents told Al Jazeera their children have been unwell since the floods. Many of them have severe coughs. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]
Residents in Kota Lintang Bawah, Aceh Tamiang, said most people in their village had still not received tents from government agencies. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]
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A destroyed anti-aircraft unit at La Carlota military airbase, after US President Donald Trump said the US struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela. [Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters]
People ride on a motorbike beside military vehicles as Colombian soldiers patrol the border between Venezuela and Colombia in Cucuta, Colombia. [Luisa Gonzalez/Reuters]
Supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro embrace in downtown Caracas, Venezuela. [Cristian Hernandez/AP Photo]
Police patrol in La Guaira, Venezuela after US President Donald Trump announced that President Nicolas Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country. [Matias Delacroix/AP Photo]
Destroyed containers lie at La Guaira port after explosions near Caracas, Venezuela. [Matias Delacroix/AP Photo]
Government supporters display posters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, right, and former President Hugo Chavez, in downtown Caracas, Venezuela. [Matias Delacroix/AP Photo]
Men watch smoke rising from a dock after explosions at La Guaira port, Venezuela. [Matias Delacroix/AP Photo]
A firefighter gestures next to a destroyed anti-aircraft unit at La Carlota military airbase in Caracas. [Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters]
People line up outside a shop, after US President Donald Trump said the US has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas. [Gaby Oraa/Reuters]
An abandoned couch lies in a road in Caracas, Venezuela. [Gaby Oraa/Reuters]
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A drone view shows people gathering over the Galata Bridge in solidarity with Palestinians on New Year's Day in Istanbul, Turkiye. [Kemal Aslan/Reuters]
The "We Do Not Remain Silent, We Do Not Forget Palestine" rally, organised by the Humanitarian Alliance and the National Will Platform, united more than 400 civil society organisations. [Muhammed Ali Yigit/Anadolu/Getty Images]
Ahead of the event, citizens gathered before dawn prayers at major mosques throughout Istanbul, including Ayasofya Grand Mosque, Sultanahmet, Fatih, Suleymaniye and Eminonu New Mosque. [Kemal Aslan/Reuters]
Many demonstrators carried Turkish and Palestinian flags as they assembled in mosque courtyards to express solidarity with Gaza. [Arif Hudaverdi Yaman/Anadolu/Getty Images]
Despite freezing temperatures, turnout remained high as extensive security measures were implemented. [Dilara Senkaya/Reuters]
Thousands gathered across Istanbul on January 1, 2026, marching in solidarity with Palestinians and demanding an end to Israel's war on Gaza. [Agit Erdi Ulukaya/Anadolu/Getty Images]
A large banner featuring "Hanzala", the iconic character created by the late Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali and widely recognised as a symbol of the Palestinian cause, was displayed on a building behind the main press platform. [Muhammed Enes Yildirim/Anadolu/Getty Images]
People congregate near the Galata Bridge in solidarity with Palestinians on New Year's Day in Istanbul. [Dilara Senkaya/Reuters]
As part of the programme, prayers for Palestinians continued from a stage set up on Galata Bridge. An art installation titled “Roots” was unveiled on the bridge to draw attention to what organisers described as the targeting of culture and art in Gaza. [Kemal Aslan/Reuters]
The event also showcased performances by globally recognised artists and musicians. [Dilara Senkaya/Reuters]
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New York Attorney General Letitia James, left, administers the oath of office to Zohran Mamdani, centre, as his wife Rama Duwaji looks on in New York [Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo]
New York Mayor Mamdani signs the official registry while city clerk Michael McSweeney holds the book during the swearing-in ceremony. [Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo]
Born in Kampala, Uganda to filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani, the new mayor relocated to New York at age 7 and attained US citizenship in 2018. [Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo]
Mamdani attended his swearing-in ceremony in New York accompanied by his wife, Rama Duwaji, as his parents proudly observed the occasion. [Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo]
Mamdani and Duwaji will relocate from their rent-stabilised one-bedroom apartment to Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence in Manhattan. [Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo]
In a campaign that transformed "affordability" into a rallying cry embraced by all political factions, the democratic socialist pledged to implement transformative policies aimed at lowering living costs in one of the world's most prohibitively expensive urban centers. [Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo]
Mamdani's platform included free child care, free buses, a rent freeze for about 1 million households, and a pilot programme for city-run grocery stores. [Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo]
Mamdani will also take on essential civic responsibilities including waste management, snow clearance, and pest control, while inevitably facing public dissatisfaction regarding subway service interruptions and road repair challenges. [Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo]
Mike Flynn, left, was unveiled as the incoming commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation during Mayor Mamdani's swearing-in ceremony. [Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo]
Mamdani reacts after being sworn in as mayor of New York City inside the Old City Hall subway station. [Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo]
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Fireworks explode during the New Year celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand [Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters]
Fireworks burst over the Sydney Harbour Bridge as New Year's celebrations begin in Sydney [Rick Rycroft/AP Photo]
Fireworks detonate around Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, during New Year's Eve celebrations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates [Fatima Shbair/AP Photo]
People ride a chair carousel in Red Square on New Year's Eve in Moscow, Russia [Pavel Bednyakov/AP Photo]
Fireworks explode during the New Year celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand [Chalinee Thirasupa/Reuters]
People hold sparklers next to a Christmas tree during a New Year's Eve celebration before a curfew during Russia's war on Ukraine, in Kyiv [Gleb Garanich/Reuters]
Pope Leo XIV leaves after a moment of prayer in front of the nativity scene that adorns St Peter's Square at the Vatican [Andrew Medichini/AP Photo]
People gather to celebrate the new year at the Zojoji Buddhist temple in Tokyo, Japan [Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo]
Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora, hosts of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026, appear at the Times Square ball during New Year’s Eve celebrations in New York City [Ted Shaffrey/AP Photo]
People attend the New Year countdown event to celebrate the start of 2026 in the central district of Hong Kong [Chan Long Hei/AP Photo]
Revellers are showered by confetti as they celebrate the start of 2026 during the New Year countdown event held at a shopping mall in Beijing, China [Andy Wong/AP Photo]
A girl reacts after offering prayers during a New Year worship service at Centenary Methodist Church in Hyderabad, India [Mahesh Kumar A/AP Photo]
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People gather to attend the funeral prayers for Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in Dhaka. [Fatima Tuj Johora/Reuters]
Security forces escort a flag-draped vehicle carrying the body of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in a convoy for her funeral in Dhaka. [Anik Rahman/Reuters]
Supporters of Zia carry a wreath to mourn her death as they gather before the funeral. [Munir Uz Zaman/AFP]
Zia’s supporters and mourners arrive for the funeral in Dhaka. [Munir Uz Zaman/AFP]
BNP members mourn after the death of Zia. [EPA]
Flags were flown at half-mast, and thousands of security officers lined roads as Zia’s body was carried through the streets of Dhaka in a vehicle in the colours of the national flag. [Anik Rahman/Reuters]
Thousands of BNP workers and leaders gathered to pay their respects to Bangladesh's first female prime minister. [EPA]
Supporters mourn her death as they gather before the funeral in Dhaka. [Munir Uz Zaman/AFP]
Thousands of people gathered to attend funeral prayers outside the national parliament building in Dhaka. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/AP Photo]
Government officials and others attend funeral prayers. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/AP Photo]
Vendors sell BNP flags near the funeral venue. [Fatima Tuj Johora/Reuters]
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Palestinians try to recover their tent after overnight rainfall flooded a beachside tent camp in Khan Younis, the southern Gaza Strip. [Mohammad Jahjouh/AP Photo]
Shaimaa Wadi, 25, sits with her one-year-old daughter Tala, inside their tent in a makeshift camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip. [Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Photo]
Palestinians receive donated food at a temporary camp for displaced people, on the beach near the port of Gaza City. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
A woman tries to recover a carpet after overnight rainfall flooded a beachside tent camp in Khan Younis. [Mohammad Jahjouh/AP Photo]
Members of the al-Ajouri family stand by their tent that was destroyed by strong winds and rain in Gaza City. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
Palestinian children stand on an area surrounded by makeshift tents in a camp for displaced people in Deir el-Balah, the central Gaza Strip. [Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Photo]
Many families have been living in tents since late 2023, for most of the duration of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
Palestinian children carry plastic jerrycans filled with water as they walk through a displacement camp in Gaza City. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
So far in December, at least 15 people, including three babies, have died from hypothermia following rains and plunging temperatures, with several buildings collapsing, according to authorities in Gaza. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
The heavy rains earlier this month flooded tents and makeshift shelters across Gaza, where most buildings have been destroyed or damaged by Israeli attacks. [Mohammad Jahjouh/AP Photo]
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