GAZA - Heavy rains and strong winds battered the Gaza Strip on Thursday, flooding hundreds of tents sheltering displaced people, officials said.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defence in Gaza, told Xinhua that the department had received hundreds of calls from residents seeking assistance after their tents were flooded or destroyed by strong winds.
He described the situation as "catastrophic," citing a lack of necessities and essential services amid ongoing restrictions and damage to infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Ismail Thawabta, director of the Government Media Office in Gaza, said more than 120,000 out of over 130,000 tents have become dilapidated and uninhabitable due to repeated exposure to storms and heat, adding that more than 280,000 families have been left homeless.
Jawahir Shalash, a 43-year-old displaced woman living in a tent in Gaza City, said floodwaters entered her shelter overnight.
"Sewage and wastewater entered my tent, soaking bedding and clothes and rendering it uninhabitable," she said, calling for the urgent provision of caravans and temporary housing.
In another area, Mohammed al-Madhoun, a father of four, was seen piling sand around his tent to prevent further flooding.
"All we want is to live with dignity, not to wake up drowning in rainwater and sewage," he said.
The Palestinian Meteorological Department said the Palestinian territories continue to be impacted by the storm, with a sharp temperature drop and wind speeds reaching up to 60 km per hour. - BERNAMA