General

Heavy rainfall over the last week has made life even harder for the many displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to UN agencies. Jonathan Crickx, a spokesman for Unicef, shared with the BBC that the overnight weather was “horrendous,” noting that he observed as much as 15cm (6in) of water on the ground near his office. He expressed deep concern that children living in tents and temporary shelters, dressed in wet clothes, could face hypothermia and other health issues. The health ministry in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, reported that one baby has died from hypothermia, and at least 11 others have lost their lives due to buildings collapsing from the harsh weather. Since the ceasefire began nine weeks ago, UN agencies have increased their delivery of tents, blankets, and clothing, but they still find that aid is insufficient. The UN and its partners estimate that nearly 55,000 families have been impacted by the rains, suffering damage or loss to their belongings and homes. More than 40 emergency shelters were heavily flooded after the rain on Monday and Tuesday, forcing many individuals to move again. “Last night was really terrible for the families. The heavy rains were so strong that we could see about 10cm to 15cm (4-6in) of water at times from our office and guest house. The winds were also very strong,” Jonathan Crickx, chief of communications for Unicef in the State of Palestine, told the BBC’s Today programme on Wednesday. “This morning, I noticed many people trying to clear some of the water with buckets.”