Gaza Genocideupdated 2h ago3 min read
MapHeavy Rains Flood 70,000 Displacement Tents In Gaza, Gaza Civil Defense Reports 1,500 Distress Calls
3 West Asian2 Other1 Israeli1 Western MainstreamMap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
About 70,000 tents housing displaced Palestinians flooded within 12 hours of heavy rains. Civil Defense logged over 1,500 emergency calls for flooded or damaged camps.
Save coverage image
The Times of Israel was read line by line by the Watchdog: 6.0. See the score →
Tents submerged in Gaza
Heavy rains and floods in Gaza submerged about 70,000 tents sheltering displaced Palestinians within 12 hours, according to the Gaza government media office and the Hamas-run government in Gaza. Jonathan Veitch, the Unicef representative for Palestine, said the situation was being made worse by Israeli restrictions on the entry of heavy machinery and supplies such as engine oil, while he told the BBC, "It's just horrific and they're absolutely desperate." Residents used pots and pans to clear water from flooded tents, and nearly everyone in the territory needs help.
The Hamas-run government in Gaza said the "collapse of dozens of cracked walls and roofs" had caused injuries, with some cases described as critical. The Gaza Civil Defense said it received 1,500 distress calls from displaced residents, and it added that three abandoned houses collapsed without causing injuries, according to The Times of Israel.
Fuel shortages and blocked aid
Gaza Civil Defense officials said they could not cope with the storm because of fuel shortages and damaged equipment, and they said Israel had destroyed hundreds of vehicles, including bulldozers, used to pump water during its war against Hamas, according to The Times of Israel. The Times of Israel reported that Israel has barred entry of construction equipment during the ceasefire, while Hamas municipal and civil defense officials said they were unable to cope with the storm. Hamas accused Israel of preventing entry of shelters and building materials into Gaza, and the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories agency, the Israeli military body coordinating aid entry, had not yet commented on the accusations, according to ميدل ايست اونلاين.
Israel restricts the entry of items into Gaza that could be used for military purposes, and a ceasefire came into force in Gaza in October last year while Israeli air strikes have continued almost every day. The BBC also reported that the Hamas-run health ministry said 1,580 people have been killed since the ceasefire came into force, and it said the figures are considered reliable by the UN.
Winter risks and next steps
Aid agencies said the situation is likely to worsen with the start of the rainy season, and Veitch warned, "We can expect the same again unless we have very, very urgent action now." A coalition of Palestinian civil society organizations warned in a statement of "the catastrophe that has come to threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of residents," and it called for "pressure on Israel to allow the entry of humanitarian aid without restrictions," according to The Times of Israel. Veitch told the BBC that there were fewer tarpaulins, plastic sheeting and tents available in the Gaza strip due to UN budget cuts, and nearly everyone needs help.
The floods also worsened access to basic services, with the BBC reporting limited access to clean water and sanitation for many displaced residents, and it said 90% of Gaza residents have been displaced by the Israeli war against Hamas. ميدل ايست اونلاين reported that the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories said four additional water-pumping trucks entered Gaza last week through the International Committee of the Red Cross to join eight others brought in the past month to drain wastewater, remove waste weekly, and repair water and sanitation infrastructure.