‘Man-made’ humanitarian crisis in Gaza could have been prevented
The potential devastation that is foreseen after this storm, which Israel expects to be quite massive … could have been prevented. This is a man-made disaster in the making.
Israel was supposed to allow for the reconstruction of infrastructure, for the repair of damaged infrastructure that Israeli forces have been destroying over the past two years, for heavy equipment to go in so that [Palestinians] can clear the roads from debris [and] so that movement can be managed better. That has not happened.
The aid that is going in is a fraction of what was supposed to go in. Israel uses the pretext of “dual-use items” to forbid the entry of things as basic as paper and pens. There is really no explanation given, except that “dual-use” excuse.
It doesn’t seem that the mechanism set up by the United States has had a lot of influence on changing these restrictions. Some have been lifted; we’ve seen a handful of trucks go through Allenby Bridge between Jordan and the West Bank, taking aid to Gaza.
But that is a drop in the ocean of what is needed and what should have been going in for two months now.
Displacement camps built on bare sand face ‘devastating’ flood risk
Even before the first drop of rain falls on Gaza, UN agencies and local authorities are warning that any significant rainfall could have devastating consequences for Gaza’s residents.
We understand that displacement camps are built on completely bare sand, open areas and ground. That means that water can easily flood these makeshift tents – soaking clothes, mattresses, and whatever is left for families to keep them warm.
The main fear today is not just of the rain itself, but what it will do immediately to tens of thousands of people who are now living in exposed, makeshift tents. We know that these tents have been torn, unreinforced and are very flimsy, which means that in the coming hours they might be left without any protection from the cold.
Israeli attacks destroyed more than 80 percent of the structures in Gaza
With the major winter storm set to hit Gaza, observers have noted that hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian families have nowhere to turn.
That’s because Israel’s two-year assault on the enclave has destroyed most buildings across the Gaza Strip. According to United Nations figures from mid-October, nearly 81 percent of all structures in Gaza have been damaged in Israeli attacks.
That includes:
- 123,464 destroyed structures
- 17,116 severely damaged structures
- 33,857 moderately damaged structures
- 23,836 possibly damaged structures
Looking at housing specifically, about 320,622 housing units have been damaged, the UN said. Separately, the UN Environment Programme said it could take as many as 20 years to remove all the debris in Gaza, at an estimated cost of nearly $909m.
Palestinians stand near rubble from destroyed buildings, amid a repeatedly violated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, on November 17
