Heavy Rains Flood Thousands Of Tents Sheltering Displaced Civilians In Gaza

GAZA CITY/ISTANBUL, Dec 11 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Heavy rains flooded thousands of tents sheltering displaced civilians in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, witnesses said, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

Heavy rainfall began before dawn, submerging thousands of tents in several areas across the enclave.

According to an Anadolu reporter, the water level exceeded 40 centimetres inside some tents.

Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal warned in a video statement of an “imminent humanitarian disaster” resulting from the current bad weather conditions.

According to forecasts, rains are expected to continue in Gaza until Friday. Basal said that aid entering Gaza still falls far short of the needs of the territory's 2.4 million residents, who are facing a severe humanitarian crisis, and called for immediate international action.

“We have received more than 1,000 appeals since this morning from displaced families whose tents were flooded by rainwater due to the storm,” Basal said.

“The weather depression striking Gaza has raised the water level in displacement shelters to more than one metre,” he added.

“The coming hours will be difficult for displaced civilians in the shelters, with heavier rainfall expected than what occurred early Wednesday.”

He warned that more than 250,000 families in displacement camps across the enclave are vulnerable to cold weather and rainwater in their worn-out tents.

The spokesman appealed for urgent solutions and alternatives to the tents that have been torn by the rains, and for the provision of mobile homes that can offer displaced families a minimum level of protection.

On Tuesday, the Gaza Government Media Office warned that a polar low-pressure system would affect the enclave starting Wednesday and lasting until Friday evening, threatening hundreds of thousands of displaced families.

Gaza Municipality spokesperson Hosni Mahna told Anadolu that the territory is suffering widespread infrastructure collapse, especially after the destruction of seven out of eight main sewage pumping stations in Israeli attacks, raising the malfunction rate in the pumping system to 90 per cent.

He noted that the capacity to drain rainwater through pumping stations and networks has fallen by 80 per cent, and municipal teams are operating with only 15 per cent of the old equipment amid constant fuel shortages.

“Mass quantities of rubble in Gaza’s streets prevent rainwater from flowing towards the drains,” the spokesperson added.

According to prior data from the media office, Gaza needs around 300,000 tents and prefabricated housing units to meet the most basic shelter needs of Palestinians after Israel destroyed infrastructure over two years of war.

The United Nations (UN) estimates the cost of reconstructing Gaza at about US$70 billion as a result of the Israeli war, which has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians and wounded over 171,000. The assault came to a halt under a ceasefire deal that took effect on Oct 10.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU