DaysofPal- The Gaza Civil Defense announced on Thursday that several displacement camps across the Strip have been entirely submerged as a powerful winter storm continues to batter the region, intensifying the already severe humanitarian crisis facing displaced families.
In a press statement, the Civil Defense confirmed “complete flooding” of camps in multiple areas, including the al-Mawasi zone of Khan Younis, the Bassa and Baraka areas in Deir al-Balah, the Central Market area in Nuseirat, and both al-Yarmouk and the Port districts in Gaza City.
Since the storm began, emergency teams have received more than 2,500 distress calls from residents whose tents and makeshift shelters were damaged or swept away by the heavy rain.
The Civil Defense reported significant destruction across dozens of tents and issued warnings about unstable buildings that could collapse under the harsh weather, posing a grave risk to nearby families.
“The Strip is facing overwhelming challenges,” the Civil Defense said, adding that many families have been forced to flee repeatedly, from one flooded area to another, as the storm intensifies.
Officials appealed to the international community for urgent intervention to allow the entry of temporary housing units to replace the deteriorating tents that currently offer almost no protection from the cold, rain, or strong winds.
Thousands of families continue to live in worn-out tents that fail to meet even the minimum standards of shelter, leaving children in particular vulnerable to illness as temperatures drop and heating supplies remain scarce.
Meteorologists expect the storm’s impact to deepen throughout Thursday, with a sharp decline in temperatures and widespread heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, hail, and powerful winds reaching up to 50 km/h, making sea conditions hazardous.
The worsening weather, combined with the collapse of temporary shelter networks, is heightening fears of further displacement, health risks, and potential casualties among Gaza’s already struggling displaced population.
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