Torrential Rains Flood Tents of Nearly 19,000 Displaced Families in Gaza Amid Severe Technical Shortfall
Nearly 19,000 displaced families in 339 camps across Gaza have seen their tents flooded or damaged by the latest weather depression, amid a severe technical shortfall threatening the continuation of rescue and relief operations.
The High Committee for Winter Emergency in the Gaza Strip announced on Wednesday the final toll of damages and field interventions caused by the latest weather depression, confirming the widening scope of the humanitarian catastrophe and the worsening suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced people across the governorates of the Strip amid an acute shortage of resources and equipment.
In an urgent press statement, a copy of which was received by (Shehab), the committee said the depression caused the flooding and damage of 18,860 displaced families distributed across 339 camps in the Strip.
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The operations rooms said they received 2,166 distress calls, distributed as follows: Central Governorate: 903 calls, Khan Younis Governorate: 415 calls, North Gaza Governorate: 306 calls, and Gaza and Rafah governorates: 271 calls each.
Field teams also recorded more than 6,000 sites of water pools that hindered the movement of residents, in addition to 1,250 sites that witnessed overflow of sewage networks and flooding of streets, as a result of the previous destruction that struck rainwater networks and drains.
Despite the gravity of the situation, emergency and rescue teams carried out 218 urgent response missions; these included evacuating more than 1,000 residents from besieged people and residents of threatened homes, securing 27 dangerous buildings, in addition to carrying out 27 rescue, ambulance and firefighting operations.
On the relief level, tents and plastic shelters were distributed to 298 families, and clothing and winter supplies were provided to about 2,100 people.
The committee warned that these operations are being carried out under complex conditions and a major technical shortfall, as a result of the breakdown of most rescue vehicles and equipment in all governorates, and the acute shortage of spare parts, oils and fuel needed to operate the machinery.
The High Committee for Winter Emergency called on the international community and organizing countries to intervene urgently and exert direct pressure to bring in construction materials, caravans (prefabricated homes) and urgent relief supplies, in addition to providing fuel, spare parts and the operating budgets necessary to ensure the continued work of rescue teams and to limit the expansion of the catastrophe.
