Gaza, MINA – The UN refugee agency (UNRWA) issued a warning on Thursday of the dire situation facing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza, as heavy rain and strong winds threaten to batter them with cold weather, Anadolu Agency reported.
The people have been displaced by Israel’s ongoing war, which lasted for more than 15 months until a ceasefire came into effect on January 19.
“Many families are still living in makeshift shelters due to widespread damage,” the agency said in a statement.
It added that heavy rain and strong winds in Gaza have left hundreds of thousands of people exposed to cold and wet conditions in the past 24 hours.
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UNRWA said its teams were working to deliver “urgent and long-awaited aid – tents, mattresses, blankets and clothing – to displaced people across Gaza.”
A video released by the agency showed strong winds uprooting tents made of cloth and nylon, and scattering belongings in the Al Mawasi area, northwest of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Earlier, Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanoua said Palestinians living in tents and shelters had endured a “harsh and terrible” night due to the weather conditions, which exacerbated the dire situation caused by the destruction of their homes.
“The reality of the disaster in Gaza due to the winter and the weather conditions requires international pressure and urgent action to force the occupation (Israel) to implement humanitarian protocols,” he added. []
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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)