Gaza’s infrastructure collapse leaves residents defenceless against floods

Résumé détaillé

Winter weather has continued to wreak havoc in Gaza, with flooding and strong winds.

Damage from Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has worsened floods caused by heavy rain, which have submerged large areas of the enclave, local officials say.

A deep weather depression has exposed how the catastrophic deterioration of the Strip’s stormwater and sewage networks is causing thousands of tents to be flooded.

Gaza’s infrastructure has been severely damaged by waves of air raids and shelling since the start of the war in October 2023.

Ramadan Rabaa, a Palestinian shop owner, saw floodwaters sweep through his premises in western Gaza City, destroying large quantities of goods and inflicting heavy financial losses on his and his neighbours’ businesses.

When municipal crews arrived at the scene, they could do little to help due to a severe shortage of equipment and machinery.

Rabaa believes that if municipal authorities had sufficient resources, such as water suction trucks, pumps, and bulldozers, his losses could have been minimised, potentially saving his shop along with other businesses, homes and tents that have been inundated.

The rain has submerged or damaged 70,000 tents, affecting approximately 350,000 people, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office. In some displacement camps, water levels reached nearly 1.5 metres.

The impact of the weather is compounded by wartime destruction, with the media office reporting that more than 700km of Gaza’s sewage network has been destroyed.

Within 12 hours of the storm, Gaza’s Civil Defence received more than 2,000 distress calls but could only respond to 218, because of fuel shortages and equipment breakdowns.

Début de l'article, extrait de Al Jazeera. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.