Flooding in Gaza compounds hardship of people displaced by Israeli attacks

Gaza’s Government Media Office says astir 10,000 tents either washed distant oregon were damaged owed to the storm.

Heavy rains person flooded structure encampments of displaced Palestinians crossed the Gaza Strip, adding misery to communities already devastated by 13 months of war, arsenic Israeli forces stepped up attacks successful the enclave.

Downpours overnight inundated tents and successful immoderate places washed away the integrative and cloth shelters utilized by displaced radical successful the enclave, astir of whom person been uprooted respective times during the warfare betwixt Israel and Hamas.

Some placed h2o buckets connected the crushed to support mats from leaks and dug trenches to drain h2o distant from their tents.

“We near the northbound and survived the bombings. We near aft the siege. But present the rainfall and acold are sidesplitting us. I’ve been sick for 3 days,” Ahmad, a displaced nonmigratory of Jabalia, bluish Gaza, told Al Jazeera successful a structure campy successful Yarmouk Stadium successful Gaza City.

“We were affected by the rain. Our children were soaked. Our apparel got bedewed and we person thing to support ourselves, conscionable the tent,” said Um Mohammad Marouf, a displaced Beit Lahiya resident.

Many tents utilized successful the aboriginal stages of Israel’s warfare successful Gaza person present worn retired and nary longer connection protection. The terms of caller tents and integrative sheeting has besides changeable up beyond the means of displaced families.

On Monday, Gaza’s Government Media Office said successful a connection that astir 10,000 tents were either washed distant oregon damaged owed to the storm, appealing for planetary assistance to supply displaced families with tents to shield them against the rainfall and cold.

“According to authorities tract appraisal teams, 81 percent of the displaced persons’ tents are nary longer usable. Out of 135,000 tents, 110,000 are wholly worn retired and urgently request replacement,” it said.

Reporting from Deir el-Balah, successful cardinal Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said galore structure sites are adjacent the seashore and are not designed to withstand “these horrific conditions”, particularly arsenic colder upwind approaches.

“The rising tide has damaged galore of these tents, leaving radical with small anticipation and nary adust apparel to support themselves,” helium said.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has warned that fractional a cardinal radical crossed the besieged enclave are astatine hazard successful areas deed by flooding.

“The concern volition lone get worse with each driblet of rain, each bomb, each strike,” the bureau said connected X.

Meanwhile connected Monday, Israeli attacks intensified crossed the enclave.

In Rafah successful the confederate Gaza Strip, an Israeli aerial onslaught killed astatine slightest 4 people, medics said, portion tanks deepened their incursions successful Beit Hanoon, Beit Lahiya, and Jabalia – the largest of the enclave’s 8 historical exile camps.

Medics said 7 Palestinian radical were besides killed by 2 Israeli aerial attacks successful Jabalia.

Residents successful Gaza said Israeli planes besides dropped caller leaflets connected Beit Lahiya ordering remaining residents to permission the bluish metropolis for the south, saying the country would travel nether onslaught and providing them with a map.

Palestinian radical accidental Israel appears determined to depopulate the country permanently to make a buffer portion on the bluish borderline of Gaza. Israel has repeatedly denied this accusation.

Israel’s warfare successful Gaza has killed astatine slightest 44,235 Palestinians and wounded 104,638 since October 7, 2023.

An estimated 1,139 radical were killed successful Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that time and much than 200 were taken captive.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies