With the arrival of summer, the displacement tents in the Gaza Strip have become like ovens, due to the soaring temperatures and their unsuitability for such conditions.
According to sources, amidst a war of annihilation that has left no tree or stone untouched, shade has become a luxury enjoyed by the few who can find a tree or the remains of a dilapidated house to shelter them from the scorching heat of the tents.
Displaced person Abu Mahmoud says that the problem in Gaza today is not finding a cool place, but rather finding shade to protect against the sun’s heat. “We are running after shade,” he says. “As for the tents, this is a very dangerous and extremely difficult situation for people.”
Abu Mahmoud likens the tents to greenhouses, to the point that being in the street is preferable to being inside them. He explains that if the temperature outside is, for example, 40 degrees Celsius, it becomes 50 degrees inside the tent, and no one can bear that.
He continues, explaining that the journey of fleeing the tent and seeking shade begins with sunrise. He notes that he sought refuge in the shade of a dilapidated building despite the danger. “We were forced to live there because it was one of the difficult choices available to us. We can’t bear the tents, so we have to take the children and live in what remains of the destroyed houses, despite their precarious condition and the danger they pose to the children.”
Abu Mahmoud reminisces about the time before the war, when his six brothers’ families lived in relative stability in a single building in northern Gaza. Now, like in every neighborhood in Gaza, they search for the shade of a slanting house, with no alternative given the lack of electricity, fans, or cooling devices.
The Israeli war of extermination on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023 has left more than 73,000 martyrs and more than 174,000 wounded, and has destroyed 90% of the infrastructure, according to data from the Government Media Office in Gaza.
