COMMITTEE: STORM-AFFECTED GAZA PEOPLE RECEIVE 1ST SUM OF QATARI GRANT
Gaza, 20 Shafar 1435/23 December 2013 (MINA) – Committee for Government Emergency Response has done with the limitation of the damage left by the Alexa storm except for that of al-Nafaq district in central Gaza city.
Head of the Committee Yasser al-Shanti said that the committee “started to distribute compensation sums to some 500 households whose homes were completely flooded.”
Shanti explained in weekly “Meeting the Official” event hosted every Sunday by Government Media Office that “more than a thousand families have already received the first sum from public post offices.”
The damage to Al-Nafaq district, Shanti pointed out, would be evaluated once the water filling the homes therein is completely sucked off, ALRAY, Palestinian Media Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).
He expected that the losses of that disaster-stricken district be very high as many extremely afflicted homes need reconstruction.
He added that “the civil defense crews Saturday reopened al-Nafaq street to the movement of passers-by and cars after clearing the huge amount of water flooding it.”
The most of the al-Nafaq residents already returned to their homes and the rescue shelters closed.
He noted that Ministry of Public Works and Housing formed more than 25 committes to limit the damage to all five governorates of the Gaza Strip and completed 80% of the damage limitation process.
He stressed that the government has contacted more than a country to get the affected to recover, including State of Qatar, which donated $5 million as an urgent batch of financial assistance.
Turkey also donated $1.2 million for the municipalities and Ministry of Health.
He also said that “the government contacted with the Arab League, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Islamic Development Bank that all promised to provide support to the affected.” (T/P012/E1)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
