Yamen Abu Suleiman, the director of the Civil Defense in Khan Younis Governorate in the southern Gaza Strip, stated that the governorate experienced a difficult night due to a low-pressure system accompanied by strong winds, heavy rain, and rising sea levels.
This resulted in the flooding of entire camps along the coast and damage to thousands of tents sheltering thousands of families.
Abu Suleiman explained to the Palestinian news agency “Shehab” on Tuesday that the high wind speeds and the proximity of the camps to the shore caused water to rush into the shelters, flooding the tents of displaced people in the western area, the western camp, and some surrounding neighborhoods.
He emphasized that hundreds of destroyed and dilapidated homes pose a real danger to residents due to the lack of heavy equipment needed to demolish them or provide alternative housing for their owners.
He pointed out that the situation of displaced people is worsening with the continued cold spells, at a time when civil defense and municipal crews are suffering from a severe lack of resources due to the Israeli occupation’s complete destruction of rainwater drainage networks and infrastructure in the governorate. He added that the Israeli enemy is also preventing the entry of caravans, tents, and heavy equipment into the Gaza Strip.
The Civil Defense Director in Khan Younis noted an increasing number of illnesses among children and women due to the extreme cold and the spread of influenza. He confirmed that Nasser Hospital has witnessed a significant rise in the number of children arriving with high fevers, amidst extremely difficult living and health conditions nearly two years after the war.
He warned of the potential for casualties at any moment due to the collapse of damaged houses, explaining that one family miraculously escaped after their home collapsed, while dozens of uninhabited houses still pose a constant threat.
He explained that Khan Younis Governorate currently houses approximately 900,000 residents, in addition to displaced people from Rafah, Gaza City, and the northern Gaza Strip. Most of them are crammed into small, poorly equipped areas in the west, which has exacerbated the damage after many tents and camps were completely flooded.
Abu Suleiman reiterated his appeal to international and human rights organizations to urgently allow the entry of heavy equipment, caravans, and tents, and to begin the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
He warned that continuing to prevent the entry of these essential supplies will only intensify the suffering of the displaced and increase the likelihood of further casualties.
