 "'No roof above us': Heavy rainfall floods tents of displaced Palestinians in Gaza")
Already living in dilapidated conditions, displaced Palestinians in Gaza woke up to flooded tents after heavy rainfall caused a flood-like situation in the region.
The spokesperson of the Gaza Civil Defence, Mahmoud Basal, said that officials in the region have received “hundreds of pleas for help”, but “resources are nonexistent.”
“Entire shelter centers have seen water levels rise to more than 10 centimeters (3.94 inches). Mattresses are soaked, blankets are drenched and there are no options left — because every option has been destroyed by Israel,” he told reporters.
Storms are typical in Gaza during this time of year, but with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians already displaced from permanent homes, even a moderate amount of rainfall can overwhelm residents and worsen the already dire situation.
‘No roof to protect us’
Many Palestinians described their plight to CNN. Raed Al-Alayan said, “We have been flooded by the rain, us and our little children. Our tents were flooded. There is no roof to protect us from the rain.”
People were seen trying to divert water away from their tents as rain continued throughout the night. “We have been awake since 2:30 a.m. because of the rain. Everything is soaked; the mattresses and the blankets,” Abdulbasset Abulhadi told the news outlet.
Hundreds of tents and makeshift shelters were flooded, according to Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General. He informed reporters that UN partners involved in shelter efforts have highlighted that Gaza lacks the necessary equipment for effective flood prevention, such as tools to drain water from tents and remove solid waste and debris.
“We fear that thousands of displaced families are now left fully exposed to the harsh weather elements,” the spokesperson said.
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)’s Communications Officer in Gaza Mai Elawawda said, “Early this morning, heavy rain flooded the tents of displaced families, along with the few belongings they still have. Most of these families are surviving in completely worn-out tents that have travelled with them through two years of nonstop Israeli attacks and forced displacement. Frayed under the sun, these tents are now collapsing with the first signs of winter.”
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