They live in the open: Worsening plight of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees due to intensifying cold, famine, and the rainfall in Gaza
Follow-ups – Al-Khabar Al-Yemeni:
The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is worsening on Sunday, coinciding with the onset of winter and the rainfall, amidst a lack of available tents, escalating waves of displacement, and the ongoing Israeli aggression and siege against civilians for over a year.
The Civil Defense in Gaza reported, “The tents of the displaced have suffered significant damage after being flooded by rainwater.”
It added, “We raise questions to the humanitarian world and international organizations that the tents of the refugees were damaged this morning by limited and light rain; what would happen if these tents witnessed heavy and continuous rain? Certainly, we are facing a catastrophic humanitarian scene if the refugees in the camps continue in this situation, especially given the damage to many of their tents and no longer suitable for shelter.”
According to Palestinian media sources, a large number of tents of the refugees in the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza and in other governorates have been flooded, exacerbating the suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced families as a result, and due to the Israeli enemy targeting shelter centers, coupled with the intensifying winter and atmospheric depressions.
The Government Media Office previously issued “distress call to rescue the displaced in Gaza with the onset of winter.”
According to government field assessment teams, “74% of the tents of the refugees have become unsuitable for use,” noting that “100,000 out of 135,000 tents need replacement and change urgently due to their deterioration.”
In this context, the Government Media Office added that the mentioned tents “are made of wood, nylon, and fabric and have worn out due to the heat of the sun and the climate conditions in Gaza, going completely out of service after 11 continuous months of displacement and these inhumane conditions.”
The media explained that “during a year of use, movement, and displacement, many tents have worn out, while the displaced find themselves facing a new winter, and the war of extermination is still ongoing and is even expanding and escalating without any near prospects for stopping it.”
Amidst the occupation’s policy seeking to prolong the duration of this aggression, Gaza residents are living inside nylon or fabric tents in an attempt to find a place that shelters them and their families away from the occupation’s targeting, which often aims at the refugee’s camps. However, they have many fears that these tents will be flooded and destroyed by the speed of the winds, the intensity of the sea waves, and the heavy rain, which coincides with the worsening famine crisis in the Strip, specifically in northern Gaza.