A bout of winter rainfall has flooded temporary camps housing displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, deepening the misery of thousands of families already living in extremely harsh conditions following the brutal conflict.
Heavy rains lashed Gaza on Friday, with the resultant floodwaters seeping into the makeshift tents sheltering displaced families, soaking their bedding and belongings, and leaving pools of dirty water all around the campgrounds. The downpours came after days of cold weather, leaving people in the displacement camps exposed to bitter temperatures, mud and polluted water.
"It was an indescribably difficult night. It can only be described by those who witnessed it. The rain came down like a flood. We tried to stop it by making the tent's entrance higher, but the water reached to the bed. Finally, the tent collapsed on us. My husband tried to help as he could, but all our clothes and bedding were soaked, and we ended up sleeping in the water," said Areej Diab, a displaced Palestinian.
Many families were forced to spend long hours out in the open after their tents collapsed amid the heavy rain.
The situation is further complicated by how the damage and destruction of key infrastructure and road links in the two-year war has made it harder for emergency teams to reach those in need.
"People spent hours outside because their tents were filled with water. This was one of the hardest scenes in the past two days. The bigger issue is that just two hours of rain caused all this, so what would happen to the people if a real winter storm hits Gaza? We are talking about a disaster waiting to happen," said Mohamoud Basal, a spokesman for the Palestinian Civil Defense.
Displaced families fear that this could only be the beginning of a much harsher winter to come. The lack of proper heating, resulting from severe shortages of fuel and cooking gas, has left those living in tents vulnerable to the wind and heavy rain.
"All our bedding was soaked, and my child was drenched and shivering along with the rest of my kids. I couldn't stop the water, and the tent collapsed on us. We couldn't do anything and spent the night on the street," said Hanadi Fatoum, another displaced Palestinian.
Winter floods deepen misery of residents in Gaza displacement camps
Winter floods deepen misery of residents in Gaza displacement camps
