DaysofPal – Ahead of a predicted wave of thunderstorms, heavy rainfall on Friday flooded the flimsy tents housing displaced Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip, raising concerns of “catastrophic consequences” for the nearly two million people without proper shelter.
Local media reported that thousands of families in temporary camps woke up early to discover their tents flooded. The Palestinian Civil Defence issued urgent warnings to residents, particularly the displaced, urging them to take precautions against potential destruction as storm conditions intensify.
The Palestinian Meteorological Department has also issued alerts about the risk of flash floods in low-lying areas and valleys throughout Gaza and the occupied West Bank, with strong winds, heavy rainfall, and thunderstorms forecast in the coming days.
Adnan Abu Hasna, spokesperson for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), said the approaching storm “will have catastrophic consequences for displaced people in the Gaza Strip.”
In Khan Younis alone, more than 900,000 displaced people are currently living in tents in the al-Mawasi coastal area, according to the municipality. A municipal spokesperson warned that their lives are at risk and stressed the urgent need for equipment to build flood-prevention barriers.
Hundreds of thousands of additional displaced people are scattered across camps throughout Gaza, many facing cramped, unsanitary conditions with little privacy and severe shortages of basic essentials, according to UNRWA.
During its two-year genocidal campaign in Gaza, the Israeli army damaged or destroyed 83 percent of all structures in the Strip, including homes, schools, universities, hospitals, and other facilities that once offered refuge during displacement. Over 282,000 homes have been destroyed or severely damaged, according to data from the Global Shelter Cluster.
Earlier this month, the Red Cross and UNRWA warned that at least 259,000 families will face winter “without adequate protection” due to continued Israeli restrictions on the entry of lifesaving shelter materials.
Although a ceasefire took effect last month, Israel has continued to block or severely limit the entry of tents, construction equipment, and other shelter-related supplies.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel was required to allow hundreds of thousands of tents and mobile shelters into Gaza as temporary housing for those whose homes were destroyed.
Instead, humanitarian agencies say Israel has violated the terms of the deal by imposing heavy restrictions on relief materials and the machinery needed for reconstruction.
Since the ceasefire began, an average of 150 aid trucks have entered Gaza per day, a fraction of the 600 trucks per day that were agreed upon, far below what is required to address the escalating humanitarian emergency.
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