Heavy rains have flooded hundreds of tents sheltering displaced Palestinian families in the Gaza Strip and led to the death of a baby girl, according to Reuters.
Inability to Address Crisis
Civil defense officials announced that they were unable to deal with the storm due to fuel shortages and damage to equipment.
During the two-year war with Israel, Israeli forces destroyed hundreds of vehicles, including bulldozers and others used to pump water.
Torrential rains have flooded several tent encampments across the Palestinian enclave with the civil defense receiving more than 2,500 calls for help.
Approximately 761 displacement sites—home to roughly 850,000 people—are at severe risk of flooding, leading thousands to relocate ahead of the expected heavy rain, according to a UN report.
Moreover, UN and Palestinian officials said nearly 1.5 million displaced people are in a dire need to 300,000 new tents.
Many Gazans had to extract iron rods from the rubble of destroyed homes, using them to reinforce makeshift shelters or selling them for a few dollars.
Death of A Baby Girl
A Palestinian mother called, Hejar Abu Jazar, lost her baby girl, Rahaf Abu Jazar, due to exposure to cold after rain inundated her family’s tent in Khan Younis.
“When we woke up, we found the rain over her and the wind on her, and the girl died of cold suddenly,” the mother told Reuters.
The Palestinian group Hamas noted that Israel has failed to allow in as much aid as pledged under the truce. Aid agencies also announced that Israel is blocking essential items.
However, Israeli authorities say they are meeting their obligations in Gaza and accuse aid agencies of lack of efficiency and failure to prevent Hamas from stealing aid.
“We hold the Israeli occupation fully responsible for exposing displaced families to climate hazards as it continues closing crossings and preventing the entry of relief items and shelter materials,” said Ismail Al-Thawabta, head of the Gaza government media office.
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