Gaza authorities face challenges in recovering bodies from debris due to severe winter storms.
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues, recent heavy rainfall has compounded the devastation caused by war, leading to further collapses of already damaged buildings and tragic loss of life. The plight of displaced Palestinians, struggling under precarious conditions, highlights an urgent need for international support and intervention to ensure their safety and well-being in this tumultuous environment.
Authorities in Gaza have issued grave warnings about the potential for more war-damaged buildings to collapse under the strain of stormy weather, exacerbated by heavy rains that are complicating ongoing recovery efforts. The recent tragedy of two building collapses over the weekend resulted in the deaths of at least twelve individuals during a time when the region’s vulnerable population is already facing harsh winter conditions.
A ceasefire has been in effect since October 10, following two years of intense conflict that has significantly displaced the population of Gaza. However, humanitarian groups have raised concerns over the limited aid entering the enclave, leaving many without essential supplies and shelter. Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abou Azzoum reported that, despite the challenges of weather and shortages of equipment, Palestinian Civil Defense teams succeeded in retrieving twenty bodies on Monday. These recovered victims were from a multistory building that had been bombed in December 2023, where approximately 60 people were thought to have been sheltering, including thirty children.
In light of the ongoing hardships, Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal urged the international community to provide more durable housing solutions, advocating for mobile homes and caravans to replace tents which have proven inadequate in extreme weather. “If people are not protected today, we will witness more victims, more killing of people, children, women, entire families inside these buildings,” he stated.
Amid the chaos, tragic stories emerge. Mohammad Nassar, a father whose family had been living in a six-story building weakened by prior airstrikes, lost two children when the structure collapsed under torrential rain. He returned from a trip for supplies to discover a scene of destruction that would haunt him for a lifetime, including the harrowing sight of his son’s hand protruding from under the debris.
UN officials have indicated that immediate action is required to facilitate more humanitarian aid into Gaza to avoid exacerbating the crisis for displaced families. Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), alerted that displacement and exposure to relentless cold and flooding are causing severe harm amongst the population, with many at risk of freezing to death. The agency has supplies ready for distribution that could assist hundreds of thousands of residents but faces significant obstacles due to constraints on aid access.
Currently, approximately 1.5 million individuals remain displaced, with local authorities estimating that around 9,000 bodies may still be entangled within the rubble left by the bombings—an operation hampered by a lack of necessary machinery. Gaza’s civil defense is urgently requesting additional heavy equipment, acknowledging that the entry ban imposed by Israel violates ceasefire agreements. Meanwhile, reports indicate ongoing Israeli strikes, which number nearly 800 since the ceasefire took effect, have reignited concerns about the fragile peace and the safety of Gaza’s families.
Under the specter of continuous conflict and devastating weather, the urgent call for international humanitarian support has never been more pressing. The pursuit of a safer, more sustainable living situation for the people of Gaza is an immediate necessity in ensuring their survival.
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