The Civil Defense Authority in the Gaza Strip warned of an imminent catastrophe due to the current storm battering the besieged Palestinian territory, following a two-year Israeli war that devastated its infrastructure.
Civil Defense spokesman Major Mahmoud Bassal said that heavy rains have flooded thousands of tents and shelters, threatening property and clothing, especially for children, given the scarcity of resources and the lack of adequate infrastructure.
Bassal added that residents lack the means to cope with the storm, and that the crisis exceeds the capacity of the Civil Defense or individual efforts, requiring designated shelters to house people humanely.
He emphasized the urgent need for tents that can withstand winter weather, rain, and high temperatures, as well as proper drainage systems for sewage.
In stark terms, the spokesman said, “The situation is terrifying. Thousands of people are in the streets, tents are flooding, and children have no spare clothes,” stressing the need for at least 450,000 tents in the Strip to shelter the displaced.
In addition to the casualties, the two-year war of genocide waged by Israel with American support caused widespread destruction, damaging 90% of the civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, with initial losses estimated at $70 billion.
Major Basal emphasized that the initial relief efforts undertaken by local and charitable organizations remain limited, and that Gaza needs “urgent strategic intervention from international organizations to provide comprehensive solutions, not just temporary aid.”
He added, “Gaza doesn’t need a political solution; it needs purely humanitarian action now.”
