Four days after heavy rains flooded large areas of the Gaza Strip, Palestinians continue to face extremely dire conditions, UN humanitarian officials reported on Wednesday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that the situation remains critical despite ongoing efforts by the UN and its partners to assist those affected since the downpours on Friday.
According to OCHA, more than 18,600 households have been impacted, with thousands losing their homes or being displaced once again.
“This number continues to increase as partners complete additional assessments to gauge the extent of the damage caused by the storm,” the office said.
As winter draws near, OCHA said its partners working on shelter warned that the volume of items entering Gaza is insufficient to meet people’s immense needs.
The office said that since shelter supplies were allowed into Gaza in September following a six-month ban, the world body, its partners and UN member states have brought in 60,000 tents, 346,000 tarpaulins and 309,000 bedding items. Hundreds of thousands of people require urgent shelter support as winter approaches.
Source: Express Tribune
