FLOODING HITS PALESTINE AL KHALIL

Al-Khalil, 24 Jumadil Akhir 1436/13 April 2015 (MINA) – Dozens of stores and stalls have been flooded on Sunday due to the heavy rains and sewage poor treatment and disposal in al-Khalil’s Old City to the south of occupied West Bank.

Eyewitnesses said that, dozens of stores and stalls were flooded in Bab Zawiya and the Old Town in the city when water levels rose sharply in the area, The Palestinian Information Center (PIC) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)

The rainwater has heavily accumulated in the Old City that already suffers from sewage poor treatment due to the Israeli continued restrictions on maintenance works, the sources added.

The local sources pointed out that the flooding still continued while no real efforts have been made to control the flood waters that threaten the neighboring houses and the people’s movement.

Meanwhile in Gaza Strip, Civil Defense spokesman Muhammad al-Midana stated that his crews evacuated a number of homes and a school in Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City after water levels rose sharply in the area due to the heavy rainwater.

Speaking to the PIC reporter, al-Midana said that a number of caravans housing thousands of Gazans displaced by Israel’s summer offensive had been swamped due to the heavy rain that flooded Khuzaa and Beit Hanoun.

Things are still under control despite the very difficult situation and poor equipment, he said.

In a unique precedent, Gaza has witnessed Sunday large hailstones and heavy rainfall that led to flash flooding worsening the situation for more than 100,000 Palestinians left displaced by Israel’s offensive last summer.(T/P008/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)