PM Shehbaz Directs Urgent Aid for Flood-Hit Gaza
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that he had directed the foreign ministry to use all possible means to urgently "escalate humanitarian assistance" to Gaza. Heavy rains have flooded tens of thousands of tents housing displaced Palestinians.
Impact of Rains and Flooding
The Gaza government media office said on Sunday that at least 70,000 tents had been flooded in the past 12 hours. This affected tens of thousands of displaced people and caused injuries, though no fatalities were reported. Authorities said the rains and flooding also washed away shelters.
Gaza's civil defence service said it received 1,500 distress calls from displaced residents.
Municipal and civil defence officials said they could not cope with the storm due to fuel shortages and damage to equipment. They said Israel had destroyed hundreds of vehicles, including bulldozers and others used to pump water, during its assault on the territory.
PM Shehbaz's Statement
PM Shehbaz said photos from Gaza had been "heart rending", with tents being flooded and Gazan children, with nowhere to go, being trapped and subject to starvation and extreme cold.
"I have directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pursue all possible means to escalate humanitarian assistance urgently," he posted on X.
The premier added that he was also "deeply concerned about continued Israeli illegal actions to deny basic humanitarian assistance to the brave Palestinian people of Gaza".
"I strongly condemn these violations of the ceasefire and international law, and this continued aggression toward the Palestinian people."
Background on Gaza Crisis
Gaza has been subjected to Israeli assault for long, particularly following an attack by Hamas on Israel on Oct 7, 2023. Palestinian authorities say more than 74,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its assault on the territory.
Last year's US-brokered Gaza ceasefire calls for the eventual reconstruction of the territory. But little progress has been made towards implementing a deal and Israel continues to violate the ceasefire.
Israeli forces still hold more than 60 per cent of the territory and conduct almost daily airstrikes, while Hamas controls most of the area where more than two million Palestinians live, mostly in temporary shelters with what aid agencies call inadequate aid supplies.
A majority of Gazans are dependent on aid supplies, following three years of Israeli assault, repeated displacement and severe restrictions imposed by Israel on aid deliveries. Heavy rains and flooding has worsened their condition.
Residents Share Their Struggles
On Sunday, at a tent encampment in Gaza City, some people tried to repair their tents, while others used sand to reinforce them and prevent water from entering. Some were busy getting their children out of flooded tents.
Olfat Magdoub, a Gaza resident, tried in vain to sweep water away from her tent.
"This is the first day of rain, and of course we are already flooded. What will happen if it rains again the next day? This is only the first day and we're already overwhelmed," said the woman.
"Two weeks ago when it rained, I swear to God, I spent four days sleeping on blankets spread on the floor because the rainwater had flooded the bedding. Same now, the mattresses are wet so we sleep on the ground."
Another resident, Rafiq Ghattas, standing barefoot in the middle of a large pool of rainwater, said: "We have no resources, no tarpaulins, no tents and no one is checking on us."
Source: dawn