Gaza: Rains add misery to humanitarian catastrophe

Heavy rains sweeping across parts of the Middle East this week have flooded tens of thousands of tents in Gaza's displaced persons' camps.

According to authorities in the enclave, at least 70,000 tents have been flooded over the past day, where tens of thousands of people took shelter.

No fatalities had been reported, although some people were injured.

Some of the tents have been washed away due to the weather, with mattresses and blankets soaked with water.

More than 1.6 million residents of Gaza's 2.1-million population now live in tents or other makeshift shelters due to Israel's war in the enclave.

UN data says some 80% of the enclave's structures have been damaged during the war, with two-thirds destroyed, leaving Gaza's residents — many of whom were displaced multiple times during the war between Israel and Hamas — to either live in tents or risk their lives and seek shelter in buildings that could be on the verge of collapse.

The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine released a statement appealing for humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip due to the situation.

According to the committee, some 950,000 people are living in areas "vulnerable to flooding," with more than 400,000 living in areas of "high levels of risk."

"Heavy rainfall is compounding an already catastrophic humanitarian situation, leaving displaced families and those who have lost their homes exposed to the elements and deprived of the most basic necessities of life," the statement said.

Some 74,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. The war was triggered when Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas and its affiliates launched a terrorist attack in Israel's south, killing some 1,200 Israelis, most of whom were civilians. The militants also kidnapped 251 hostages.

The UN, EU, US and Israel, among others, consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization.

A UN commission of inquiry, as well as many leading human rights organizations, have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Israel has rejected the accusation, saying its army is acting in accordance with international law.