Storm is exacerbating Gaza’s humanitarian crisis: Mayor
Rising water levels are flooding Gaza’s shelters and making roads inaccessible, Gaza City Mayor Yahya al-Sarraj has told Al Jazeera.
“We expect another wave of the storm, but we lack the necessary equipment to deal with it,” he said. “We rely on equipment rented from the private sector, which is old and unsuitable for dealing with the storm.”
‘Critical’ for Israel to lift aid restrictions before Byron pummels Gaza, rights group says
Save the Children has called on Israel to allow tent poles and other banned items to enter Gaza, along with tents, winter clothes and blankets, to better protect families from Storm Byron’s effects. Since the ceasefire took effect in October, Israel has still not allowed the Strip to receive timber, tent poles or tools because it considers them “controlled dual-purpose” items.
“No child should lie awake all night freezing in sewage-sodden bedding. This is unconscionable,” said Ahmad Alhendawi, the organisation’s regional director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe. “What Palestinian children in Gaza need immediately is tents including tent poles, shelter, warm clothes, blankets and bedding”, as well as repairs to the sanitation system.
Last month’s storms forced half of Save the Children’s child-friendly spaces to close as camps were deluged with flooding, sewage and water damage, while attendance at its remaining four spaces has halved, the group said.
Although the organisation has not been allowed to bring its own supplies into Gaza since March, it plans to distribute locally procured winter household items and shelter kits in the coming weeks, including 2,000 kits of winter clothing for children.
Palestinian children go back to school
In case of a flood, the few remaining ambulances, civil defence crews and other emergency responders will not be able to freely move around. Rescue crews have repeatedly been attacked by Israel, in some cases after obtaining clearance of movement from the Israeli army.
The limited entry of humanitarian aid and emergency equipment into Gaza also means that, in addition to lacking adequate food supplies and clean water, Palestinians are unable to access resources needed to rebuild infrastructure destroyed by Israel.
Israeli fire kills one child in Jabalia refugee camp
An ambulance and emergency services source tells Al Jazeera that Israeli fire has killed at least one child near the yellow line in the Jabalia refugee camp. Palestinian news agency Wafa separately reported that Israeli forces killed three people in the camp, which is located in northern Gaza.
The three bodies, including a woman and a child, were taken to a Gaza City hospital, Wafa said.
