Gaza: Heavy rains have severely impacted displaced families in Gaza, damaging over 22,000 tents and leaving more than 288,000 households vulnerable to the elements, local authorities announced Wednesday.
According to Anadolu Agency, the adverse weather conditions have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, causing approximately $3.5 million in damages. Large portions of the displacement camps have become uninhabitable due to flooding, said Ismail Thawabteh, head of Gaza's Government Media Office. He highlighted that over 288,000 families are now exposed to the cold and rain, despite repeated government calls for 300,000 tents and mobile homes.
Thawabteh criticized the inadequate international response to these appeals, stating, "The international response to our appeals has been extremely limited and insufficient to match the scale of the disaster." He also noted that Gaza's primitive sewage networks have been damaged, and temporary water networks disrupted.
The severe weather conditions have also affected Gaza's food sector, with significant quantities of food supplies and aid being destroyed. Thawabteh reported that more than 10 mobile medical points have been disrupted, and essential medicines and supplies lost due to challenges in navigating the flooded areas.
Additionally, the destruction of alternative energy equipment and lighting within the camps, including solar panels, has further strained the displaced families' ability to meet basic needs amid ongoing electricity cuts. "The Israeli occupation continues to prevent the entry of tents, insulation materials, heating, energy, and sewage supplies, worsening the disaster," he added.
Thawabteh condemned the ongoing Israeli blockade on Gaza as "a clear violation of humanitarian obligations under the ceasefire agreement and a breach of international humanitarian law." He urged US President Donald Trump and the ceasefire guarantors to "take immediate action to compel the (Israeli) occupation to lift restrictions on the entry of shelter, heating, energy, water, and sewage materials."
He warned that the persistent Israeli siege "will escalate the humanitarian suffering to levels that are difficult to manage." On Tuesday, St©phane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, cautioned that displaced Palestinian families in Gaza are at risk of flooding inside inadequate shelters, emphasizing that residents are highly exposed to danger due to worsening weather conditions and ongoing Israeli restrictions that impede the entry of vital aid and relief efforts, including those of UN partners.
Since October 2023, the Israeli military actions in Gaza have resulted in nearly 70,000 deaths, mostly among women and children, and injured 171,000 others, leaving much of the enclave devastated. Local authorities estimate that Gaza requires approximately 300,000 tents and prefabricated housing units to address the basic shelter needs of Palestinians, following the destruction caused by two years of bombardment.
Under a ceasefire agreement effective from Oct. 10, Israel was expected to reopen Gaza's crossings and allow the entry of shelter materials, including tents and mobile homes. However, it has failed to meet its obligations under the agreement, despite repeated Palestinian appeals.