Displaced Gazans express concerns around cruel winter amid lack of tents
Date
9/26/2024 7:48:38 AM
(MENAFN) Om Fadi Awad, a 55-year-old displaced Palestinian from Deir al-Balah, expressed deep concern about the tent she constructed three months ago in a crowded camp in central Gaza. "I built this tent after the Israeli army forced us to flee Rafah without taking any personal belongings," she explained. Her makeshift shelter, crafted from tattered cloth and remnants of nylon tarps sourced from aid trucks, is barely holding up. Om Fadi lamented the dire conditions, saying, "Because of the war, we are forced to live in mobile tents, stripped of our basic rights. We live in constant fear of the ongoing Israeli bombardment, unsure if we will survive."
The ongoing conflict, marked by a large-scale offensive by Israel against Hamas following a Hamas incursion on October 7, 2023, has resulted in significant casualties, with around 1,200 Israeli deaths and approximately 250 hostages taken. In Gaza, the Palestinian death toll has escalated to 41,495, according to local health authorities. This situation has created critical shortages of food, medicine, and other essential humanitarian supplies, prompting urgent warnings from international organizations regarding the severe conditions in the region. Recent rainfall has further exacerbated the plight of displaced families by flooding streets in the camps, uprooting tents and leaving residents vulnerable.
Om Fadi and her fellow displaced Palestinian, Jihan Ziyara, both share concerns about their precarious living conditions. Jihan, who resides with her seven-member family in a cramped tent measuring just 14 square meters, reminisced about winters that used to bring joy. "Now we pray that winter doesn't come and that rain doesn't fall, as we have no means to protect ourselves from drowning in floodwaters," she shared. This sentiment highlights the despair faced by families in the camp as they anticipate the harsh winter months.
According to social development authorities, over 1.7 million people in Gaza are currently living in temporary tents, and the situation is dire for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and the sick. Authorities have warned that without assistance from international organizations to provide adequate shelter, many refugees could face life-threatening conditions due to the cold and lack of heating this winter. "Every moment increases the suffering of the people of Gaza and puts their lives at risk," they stated.
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