- Weekend rainstorms caused significant damage to shelters in Gaza, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
- An embankment collapse buried three tents, resulting in the tragic deaths of an eight-year-old, a six-year-old, and their mother; the children's father survived as he was outside the tent.
- Witness Abdul Karim al-Sahhar described the scene as 'horrifying', stating that people were buried beneath sand and rocks with no movement or sound.
- Residents used hammers and shovels to search for trapped individuals, as social media videos showed their desperate efforts.
- The Board of Peace expressed its deep concern over the severe flooding, labeling it an immediate humanitarian emergency.
- The Board urged Israel to allow the urgent entry of essential winterization supplies to protect lives and prevent further humanitarian crises.
- The Board has also pressed Hamas to disarm and relinquish governing authority as part of its humanitarian efforts.
- The Board acknowledges that failures to act have impeded progress and compounded challenges for Gaza's civilians.
- Despite acknowledging steps being considered by Israel, the Board states that the response remains insufficient.
- The Board asserts that Israeli delays have worsened the humanitarian challenge and delayed the decommissioning of weapons.
Heavy rains have caused severe flooding in Gaza, affecting around 70,000 tents and displacing thousands. The US-backed Board of Peace has called for urgent humanitarian aid, citing the flooding as an immediate emergency.6
“The urgent entry and distribution of essential shelter, sanitation, drainage, and other winterization supplies is critical to protecting civilian lives,” the Board stated.7
Witnesses described a tragic landslide rescue that resulted in five fatalities, including two children. Abdul Karim al-Sahhar, a witness, recounted, “It was a horrifying sight... None of them was moving or making a sound.” The landslide occurred after heavy rains caused a sand bank to collapse on tents in a camp for displaced families.4
“The father started shouting: ‘Save my children! Save my children!’” Sahhar recalled, as rescuers struggled to reach the victims buried beneath the rubble.
The UN reported significant damage to shelters, with UNICEF emphasizing the overcrowded conditions in Gaza that exacerbate such disasters.
The Board of Peace has urged the Israeli government to facilitate the entry of winter supplies, stating that delays have worsened the humanitarian crisis.
“These failures to act have impeded progress and compounded the challenges facing Gaza’s civilian population,” the Board noted, highlighting the urgent need for action amidst the ongoing conflict.9
“The landslide killed an eight-year-old, a six-year-old, and their mother; the father, outside the tent, survived and shouted for rescuers. Unicef warns the collapse was 'waiting to happen' due to extreme overcrowding, and the Board of Peace calls the severe flooding 'an immediate humanitarian emergency.'”
The Guardian
