UN says it agrees Israel's response to Gaza flooding crisis is insufficient

The UN said Monday that it agreed with an assessment by the Board of Peace that Israel's response to the flooding emergency in Gaza was insufficient, urging Tel Aviv to allow more shelter materials and equipment into the enclave. Asked whether the UN shared the board's criticism of Israel's efforts to facilitate adequate shelter, deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters: "Yes, we certainly agree." He said more temporary housing could be brought into Gaza but that permission was needed from Israeli authorities to move it through checkpoints.

Heavy rains over the weekend flooded displacement camps and damaged thousands of tents. The UN reported that an infant drowned and three children and at least one woman were killed when a sand dune collapsed onto their tents. According to the UN humanitarian office, more than 26,000 households reported damaged shelters or belongings, while more than 150,000 tents were outside Gaza awaiting dispatch. The UN said humanitarian teams were pumping floodwater, improving drainage, reinforcing displacement sites with sandbags and distributing emergency supplies but lacked sufficient equipment for the scale of the crisis.

In its statement Monday, the Board of Peace urged Israel to authorize winterization supplies immediately, saying delays had worsened a foreseeable humanitarian emergency. It also called on the Palestinian group Hamas to disarm and transfer governing authority under the peace plan. Haq also reported continued strikes on populated areas in Gaza, causing further casualties. He said UN personnel visiting a displacement site west of the so-called Yellow Line in Gaza City on Saturday were forced to take cover when bursts of gunfire struck nearby.

No UN personnel were injured, he said, reiterating the organization's call for the protection of civilians under international humanitarian law.