Heavy rains have flooded tent encampments of displaced Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, adding misery to communities already devastated by 13 months of war, as Israeli forces stepped up attacks in the enclave.
Downpours overnight inundated tents and in some places washed away the plastic and cloth shelters used by displaced people in the enclave, most of whom have been uprooted several times during the war between Israel and Hamas.
Some placed water buckets on the ground to protect mats from leaks and dug trenches to drain water away from their tents.
“We left the north and survived the bombings. We left after the siege. But now the rain and cold are killing us. I’ve been sick for three days,” Ahmad, a displaced resident of Jabalia, northern Gaza, told media in a tent camp in Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza City.
“We were affected by the rain. Our children were soaked. Our clothes got wet and we have nothing to protect ourselves, just the tent,” said Um Mohammad Marouf, a displaced Beit Lahiya resident.
Many tents used in the early stages of Israel’s war in Gaza have now worn out and no longer offer protection. The price of new tents and plastic sheeting has also shot up beyond the means of displaced families.
On Monday, Gaza’s Government Media Office said in a statement that about 10,000 tents were either washed away or damaged due to the storm, appealing for international help to provide displaced families with tents to shield them against the rain and cold.
“According to government field assessment teams, 81 percent of the displaced persons’ tents are no longer usable. Out of 135,000 tents, 110,000 are completely worn out and urgently need replacement,” it said.
Reporting from Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza, media’s Hani Mahmoud said many tent sites are near the coast and are not designed to withstand “these horrific conditions”, especially as colder weather approaches.
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