Capitals - Saba:
As the Zionist aggression on Gaza Strip continues for 417 days, thousands of displaced Palestinian families in shelter camps in Gaza Strip are living in harsh conditions that have further worsened with the harsh winter season, the lack of basic capabilities to face the weather, and the absence of appropriate conditions for a safe life.
Between the shelling, airplane and artillery shells, and the sound of bullets ringing out nonstop, the harsh winter season has brought additional suffering to the displaced and refugee population of the Gaza Strip, who are surrounded by difficult conditions from every direction.
In addition to the direct impact of the weather, the rainfall in light of the widespread destruction caused by the enemy army has increased health and epidemiological risks, in a season when many types of viruses are active, transmitting human diseases.
In this context, UNRWA Commissioner Philippe Lazzarini said: "Winter in Gaza means more Palestinians will die cold in tents that are vulnerable to wind and rain, not just from the Zionist genocide that has been going on for 14 months.
In a statement titled "Another Winter in Gaza" posted on the X platform, Lazzarini asked, "How can misery be described on top of humanitarian tragedy?"
"For the past 14 months people have been in a constant state of displacement to escape death, they have lost everything, they need everything, but very little is reaching Gaza," he said.
He continued: "Temperatures are dropping, it starts raining, there are no safe shelters, no blankets, no warm clothes for people, heating is non-existent and the last resort to get heat is to burn plastic."
He continued: "Winter in Gaza means that people will not only die from airstrikes, disease or hunger, winter in Gaza means that more people will die shivering from the cold, especially among the most vulnerable groups, including the elderly and children."
Earlier on Tuesday, UNRWA renewed its warnings about the repercussions of the rains on the tents of displaced people, especially in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
The UN agency said in a post on "X": "In Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, people are trying to retrieve their belongings from flooded tents." Adding: "As winter intensifies, families living in makeshift tents are facing heavy rains, rising water levels and constant Zionist airstrikes."
Meanwhile, the Euro-Mediterranean Observatory emphasized that these catastrophic conditions threaten to increase the exposure of Palestinians to serious diseases in the absence of the necessary medical care. It stressed that the continuous and severe deprivation of the basic necessities of life is an act of genocide by stripping civilians of the most basic means of protection and creating conditions aimed at destroying them and erasing their existence.
The Observatory said in a statement today: The Zionist enemy is preventing the entry of the needs of Palestinians in Gaza Strip as part of its efforts to impose harsh living conditions that lead to their death, calling on international and UN organizations to pressure it to enter basic materials.
The Observatory explained that the total amount of aid trucks entering Gaza Strip did not exceed six percent of the needs, most of which are foodstuffs, which caused a real crisis as the people of Gaza, including children and the elderly, were left without enough clothes to protect them from the bitter cold, with the vast majority of them remaining in tents.
For his part, Amjad Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGO Network, stressed that Palestine is going through the most dangerous stages of the Zionist aggression, especially with the entry of the winter season. He pointed out that thousands of tents have sunk during the past hours, which are spread across Gaza Strip, as they cannot withstand the rain or strong winds.
Shawa added that these tents contain families that include children, women, the elderly, the sick and the wounded in a complex and difficult humanitarian situation, most of whom are going hungry due to the lack of foodstuffs. He explained that these tents are erected on mudflats or on the coast of the Gaza Sea.
He pointed out that the weather intensified at dawn yesterday, as the waves rose to submerge hundreds of tents, which were completely submerged. The lack of tents and shelter supplies prompted the network of Palestinian NGOs to warn of a very serious danger to the lives of the inhabitants.
He emphasized that 95 percent of the Palestinians are displaced people who left their houses under the threat of forced eviction orders imposed by the Zionist enemy or because the enemy destroyed their houses , shelters, and part of these families are still under the rubble of their houses.
Bassam Zaqout, director of medical relief in the southern Gaza Strip, said: The humanitarian situation is becoming increasingly catastrophic, noting that hunger and cold are killing people in the Gaza Strip at this stage. He pointed to appeals from dozens of displaced families during the night hours to shelter them after rainwater flooded their tents and left them homeless.
Despite all these challenges, residents of the Gaza Strip emphasize their steadfastness and their determination to live on their land. The voice of the Gazan citizen continues to resound around the world, reminding everyone that the right is not dead, and that the Palestinians will not give up their rights no matter how long it takes.
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