At least 235,000 people have been affected by the “man-made” crisis in Gaza after low-pressure air systems hit the war-torn enclave, the head of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNRWA) said on Monday.
– Months of war and displacement have forced the people of Gaza to live among collapsed ruins, in makeshift shelters or in fragile tents – UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini wrote on the X social network.
– Although storm Byron, which hit Gaza on December 10, was a natural disaster, its consequences were caused by human activity – Lazzarini emphasized.
Heavy rains and strong winds, caused by low pressure systems, led to the collapse of 17 buildings and total or partial damage to more than 42,000 tents or improvised shelters, affecting at least 235,000 people between December 10 and 17, Lazzarini said, citing data from the Gaza Shelter Coordination Cluster.
A new wave of severe weather hit Gaza over the weekend, killing two people and uprooting tens of thousands of tents, according to civil protection.
The weather conditions pose a great danger to displaced Palestinians living in dilapidated tents or in heavily damaged, high-risk buildings, which have been repeatedly targeted by Israeli attacks since October 2023.
Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed more than 71,200 people, mostly women and children, while more than 171,200 people have been wounded in a brutal offensive against Gaza, leaving the enclave in ruins.
Despite a cease-fire that took effect in Gaza on October 10, Israel continues to keep border crossings closed and prevent the entry of mobile homes and reconstruction materials, further worsening the situation of nearly 2.4 million people in the enclave.
(Vijesti.ba)
