Ismail Al-Thawabteh, Director of the Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip, announced that a quarter of a million displaced people have been affected by the repercussions of the recent weather depression “Biron,” which struck the Strip over the past few days, leaving catastrophic impacts amid the conditions of war and the siege imposed by the Israeli occupation for more than two years.
اضافة اعلان
According to Al Jazeera Net, Al-Thawabteh said during a press conference in Gaza on Saturday that the weather depression constituted a compounded humanitarian disaster that has further exacerbated civilians’ suffering, noting that preliminary losses resulting from it are estimated at around $4 million.
He stated that more than 1.5 million displaced people are living in shelters and areas of forced displacement, pointing out that the tent sector in Gaza was the most affected, with approximately 53,000 tents damaged partially or completely.
Al-Thawabteh also explained that Depression Biron caused the erosion of hundreds of dirt roads across various parts of the Strip, leading to the mixing of clean water with mud, which heightens the risks of contamination and the spread of diseases.
He further noted that dozens of mobile medical points in displacement centers across different areas of Gaza were damaged, resulting in the loss of medicines and medical supplies.
Al-Thawabteh stressed that the Israeli occupation continues to close crossings and prevent the entry of humanitarian aid into the devastated Strip, holding the occupation directly responsible for the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Deaths Due to Cold
Sources at Gaza hospitals reported that “14 people, including six children, died due to the cold, and more than 15 homes collapsed in several areas of Gaza City,” while displaced families struggle in their tattered tents to protect their children from the severe cold with extremely limited resources.
A multi-story building collapsed in the Beit Lahia Project area in northern Gaza without causing injuries, while ambulance and civil defense teams recovered the bodies of four Palestinians, including two children, following the collapse of a house in the Bir Al-Na’ja area in northern Gaza.
Since Thursday, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have been enduring extremely harsh conditions inside worn-out tents across various areas of Gaza, as the effects of Depression Biron continue. Rainwater flooding, torrents, and strong winds have submerged and uprooted more than 27,000 tents, according to a statement by Gaza’s Government Media Office.
The weather depression comes at a time when displaced people are already living in tragic conditions due to the lack of basic necessities and the difficulty of accessing essential supplies, along with the deterioration of vital services as a result of the Israeli siege.
Approximately 250,000 families are living in displacement camps across the Gaza Strip, facing cold weather and flooding inside dilapidated tents, according to previous statements by Gaza’s Civil Defense.
The genocidal war launched by the Israeli occupation on October 7, 2023, with U.S. support, and which has continued for more than two years, has resulted in more than 70,000 Palestinian martyrs and over 171,000 wounded, along with massive destruction affecting 90% of civilian infrastructure, with preliminary losses estimated at around $70 billion.
