Israel-Hamas war: Heavy rain compounds misery in Gaza

Displaced people housed in makeshift shelters in the Gaza Strip have had their plight aggravated by the strong winds and heavy rain that hit Gaza overnight to Wednesday.

The bad weather caused flimsy tents and shelters to tear and flood, while clothes and blankets were soaked through.

Many people suffered badly from the cold in the sodden conditions, while the danger of disease has risen even further amid squalor made worse by the flooding, according to the UN agency OCHA.

Israel’s bombardment and siege of Gaza have forced nearly 2 million people from their homes and killed more than 18,000, mostly women and children, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run territory.

The International Committee of the Red Cross’s rapid deployment coordinator, Stephen Ryan, told DW that conditions for civilians in Gaza “remain a living nightmare.”

“Last night, there was strong winds and rain. And with tens of thousands of people — or more — living in tents or under plastic sheeting, this situation is extremely difficult for families who are trying to look after their children, and for people who don’t have access to enough food, enough water, or shelter,” Ryan said.

 Asked about the number of displaced people seeking shelter at the border crossing to Egypt in Rafah, at Gaza’s southern tip, Ryan said he’d observed rapidly growing crowds.

“Just over 10 days ago, I passed by one site, one location not far from where our offices are based, and I saw that there was a couple of dozen tents,” he said. “I passed one week later — just a few days ago — and there was hundreds, if not more.”