Gazans Face Dire Conditions in Flood-Impacted Tents Amid Harshest Night
Heavy rainfall inundated multiple displacement camps across the Gaza Strip, as Palestine was significantly impacted by an intense low-pressure weather system.
Rainwater inundated multiple displacement camps in the Gaza Strip as the region grappled with a deep low-pressure system, projected to persist until Friday evening. The system is ushering in cold weather and a substantial decline in temperatures.
The Palestinian Meteorological Department has indicated a significant decline in temperatures on Thursday, resulting in cold, rainy, and windy conditions. This severe weather has had a devastating impact on displaced families residing in already deteriorating tents.
In southern Gaza, displaced individuals have reported significant flooding in their makeshift shelters due to persistent rainfall. They described how the aging tents, which provide minimal defense against cold and water infiltration, struggled to endure the current storm, resulting in extensive damage.
Civil Defense teams in Khan Younis’ Mawasi region have reported their response to 14 incidents of tent flooding since the early morning hours. Residents have been evacuated to safer locations. Rescue operations are concentrated on pumping water from the affected camps and relocating some tents to areas less vulnerable to flooding, despite facing constraints due to limited resources.
Numerous families in various regions reported that floodwaters had engulfed the sleeping areas designated for children, women, and the elderly, arguing that the current protective infrastructure within the camps was inadequate in facing the storm’s intensity. Video evidence depicted displaced individuals frantically attempting to rescue drenched mattresses and blankets while shielding children from the harsh cold and rising floodwaters.
Civil Defense authorities report over 1,000 incidents of flooding, issuing an urgent appeal for caravans to aid those affected.
Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal reported that the agency has responded to over 1,000 pleas since Wednesday morning concerning flooding caused by storms, with water levels in certain shelters surpassing one meter.
In a recent press statement, it was highlighted that flooding in tents throughout the Strip has intensified the suffering of residents, who are already contending with the harsh cold and a lack of basic protection. Personal belongings, clothing, and blankets have been entirely submerged, leaving individuals without options for warmth or dryness.
Basal reported that the dire conditions have inundated Gaza’s strained service infrastructure, rendering it unable to manage the anticipated severe humanitarian crisis as the storm persists. He highlighted that tents, regardless of their origin, are unsuitable for human habitation and fail to provide adequate protection from the cold or leaks.
An urgent appeal has been made for the deployment of caravans as an interim measure to aid hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals. It was emphasized that these elevated shelters should be furnished with essential infrastructure, including toilets, kitchens, rooms, and solar power systems, to ensure the maintenance of vital services.
Basal called upon international organizations and all relevant parties to urgently meet their humanitarian obligations by delivering aid and securing alternative housing to shield the population from ongoing flooding and cold weather conditions.
