Storm floods 70,000 Gaza refugee tents, highest alert set
The deluge left 2,166 emergency calls unanswered in practice, as Gaza rescue teams could respond to only 218 amid shortages.
A winter storm flooded about 70,000 refugee tents in the Gaza Strip and prompted civil defense authorities to impose the highest state of emergency on Saturday, November 7. Water levels in some displacement sites were reported at 1.5 meters, while dozens of walls collapsed and injured several residents. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs previously said nearly 950,000 displaced people were living in areas at medium to high flood risk, including more than 400,000 in high-risk zones. The crisis has worsened because many families are living in tents or damaged buildings, while the entry of tarpaulins, tents, cement and construction tools is restricted by Israel. The Norwegian Refugee Council said only about 15 trucks of dual-use goods enter from Jordan each week.