Since Wednesday, Storm Byron has unleashed heavy rains and icy winds across the Gaza Strip, flooding makeshift tents and worsening an already dire humanitarian situation. ☔️❄️
Among the casualties are an eight-month-old girl, Rahaf Abu Jazar, who succumbed to the cold at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, and a man in the al-Shati refugee camp whose home collapsed in the downpour. 💔
Gaza's health department reports that plummeting temperatures and fuel shortages have left many families without proper shelter or heating. Rescue teams have been overwhelmed, beating back only a fraction of the 2,500 emergency calls received this week. 🚨
Civil defense and municipal authorities say much of their equipmentbulldozers, water pumps, and vehicleswas damaged by recent strikes or rendered useless for lack of fuel. Displaced residents are now scrambling to reinforce tents and salvage supplies amid harsh winter conditions. 🏚️
In a statement, Hamas urged international mediators and guarantor states to pressure Israel to open the Rafah crossing fully and allow unhindered humanitarian aid deliveries. Lives, they warned, depend on access to blankets, heaters, and clean water. 🙏
For now, Gaza's communities are bracing for more rain and colder nights. With storm forecasts predicting continued downpours, families face a race against time to stay warm, dry, and safe. 🌧️
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
