Thousands of displaced people left without shelter in Gaza after deadly storms
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on The Guardian
Storms destroyed the tents of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza, killing at least four people, including children, while 150,000 new shelters await Israeli authorisation to enter the territory. Aid organisations fear a rapid spread of respiratory diseases, according to the Guardian.
Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza are sheltering in damaged and flooded tents after deadly storms, while 150,000 new shelters are waiting outside the enclave for Israeli authorisation to enter, according to aid organisations cited by The Guardian.
At least four Palestinian children and a woman were killed by heavy rain and winds, while thousands of people lost their shelter and sewage entered tents. Medical Aid for Palestinians fears an increase in respiratory diseases and other complications linked to cold, damp and overcrowding, according to its communications officer in Gaza, Mai Elawawda.
The UN estimates that 940,000 people are living in areas of Gaza exposed to flooding, in makeshift tents without protection from heavy rain. Rainwater pumping equipment is not working because of a lack of electricity, The Guardian reports.
The threat comes after 70,000 displaced people’s tents hit by flooding in Gaza, reported on 7 November, followed by five deaths after rain submerged shelters, reported on 9 November.
