The general commissioner of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has warned that the drama faced by the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip is intensifying while the international community remains impassive, especially after the recent floods that have left hundreds of thousands of tents belonging to displaced families underwater in various camps in the enclave.
"The cruel suffering currently inflicted on the people of Gaza is bringing more misery amid indifference, with the aim of breaking what remains of human dignity," Lazzarini said, who has shared the account of a journalist who has documented on the ground the impact of torrential rains on displaced settlements located along the coast.
According to this reporter, several men started crying when they realized they were unable to shelter their children from the water and the cold, after the floods completely covered the tent floors and soaked the mattresses, leaving them without a single dry corner where they could sleep. He has also described the reality of children under five years old who survive without adequate clothing, without heating, and without shelters to protect them from the rain and the wind.
"What else has to happen for this world to act? How much more suffering must people endure before someone remembers they are human beings?" the journalist asked in his testimony.
Fourth winter in extreme conditions
Lazzarini has stressed that the Gaza Strip is already facing its fourth winter in a context of extreme precariousness and has emphasized that, a year after the ceasefire, the population continues to live amid ruins, inundated tents, overflowing sewage waters, and with minimal progress in the reconstruction of basic infrastructure. For this reason, he has again demanded that the entry of a flow of "uninterrupted and unobstructed" essential humanitarian aid be authorized.
At the same time, the Palestinian health minister, Majed Abu Ramadan, has warned that floods and the worsening of environmental conditions are increasing, in an alarming manner, the risk of disease outbreaks among the hundreds of thousands of displaced people.
In an urgent appeal to the international community, to the United Nations, and to health and humanitarian organizations, the minister has called for immediate action to safeguard the lives of these people.
Abu Ramadan has put the focus on the danger of respiratory infections, such as influenza or pneumonia, linked to prolonged exposure to cold and dampness, the lack of ventilation and overcrowding, emphasizing the special vulnerability of children, babies, elderly people and patients with pre-existing health conditions.
In addition, he has explained that the accumulation of garbage, the presence of untreated wastewater, and the absence of sanitation and pest-control systems favor the proliferation of rodents and insects and increase the risk of contamination of water and food. This is added to by the scarcity of potable water and hygiene products, malnutrition, and obstacles to accessing medical services.
In this context, the minister warned that the Gazatí health system, already severely deteriorated by damage to hospitals and health centers and by the lack of medicines, medical supplies, fuel and personnel, has a very limited capacity to respond to new emergencies. The continuous displacement and interruption of treatments, he added, also worsen the situation for those who suffer from chronic illnesses or require specialized care.
Given the forecast of new storms and an additional drop in temperatures, Abu Ramadan has called for the establishment of safe shelters, water- and wind-resistant tents, insulating materials, heating systems, blankets and winter clothing, as well as the supply of potable water, hygiene items, waste collection, pest control, and urgent repair of sewer and drainage networks.
"What is happening in Gaza is not a temporary winter crisis, but a growing threat to public health and the lives of people," he concluded, insisting on the urgency of an immediate international response to prevent more deaths and the emergence of possible epidemics.