The rains of the air depression flood thousands of tents and exacerbate the suffering of the displaced in Gaza

According to what was published by the BBC News Arabic website, the suffering of the displaced people in the Gaza Strip increased after the air depression hit the Gaza Strip, as heavy rains led to the sinking of thousands of tents in different areas, and the leakage of water to shelters. Residents fear that the rains, winds and temperatures will intensify in the coming days, in light of the lack of the necessary capabilities to face the harsh weather conditions.

The Government Media Office in Gaza announced that about 70,000 tents housing tens of thousands of displaced people had been sunk in just 12 hours, and that dozens of walls had collapsed. This led to sporadic injuries, including serious injuries in various governorates of the sector. The bureau has put the initial estimate of direct losses for the start of the decline at about $3 million so far.

Alaa, a displaced woman residing in Deir al-Balah, recounted the details of what her family was exposed to, noting that the heavy rains exceeded their expectations despite their knowledge of the coming of the depression. She explained that the family dug a large hole and a waterway to drain water away from the tents, but that did not prevent its sinking, as it sank until the new tent that the family recently bought. The roof of her tent was torn off after one of her columns fell overnight. “Winter in Gaza has become harsher than war,” Alaa said.

For its part, the Government Media Office held the Israeli occupation fully responsible for these repercussions, due to its continued closure of the crossings and the prevention of the entry of shelter materials and basic reconstruction materials, and called on the international community to intervene. As for Ola, who is displaced in the sector, She stressed that families do not have the money or the ability to replace the damaged tents or buy supplies to protect them from rain.

The news also quoted the agency "Wafa" that the number of tents sheltering the displaced throughout the sector is about 270 thousand tents, and that they are made of nylon and thin cloth and lack the simplest elements of protection. The agency pointed out that more than 400,000 displaced people reside in high-risk sites prone to flooding, or near the seashore. In the absence of fuel and the scarcity of heating means.

Source: BBC News Arabic - https://www.bbc.com/arabic/articles/cr3ellen9927o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss