“Gaza winter”… additional suffering for the people of the stricken sector

Ahmed Atef (Gaza, Cairo)

Between the bombing, aircraft and artillery shells, and the sounds of bullets echoing non-stop, the heavy rains came to represent great additional suffering for the residents of the Gaza Strip, including the displaced and refugees, who were besieged by difficult conditions from every direction with the entry of the winter season with its harsh weather, increasing their life tragedy amid the ongoing escalation in light of the collapse of the system. health and the presence of tens of thousands of wounded and sick, which threatens the spread of infectious diseases and epidemics.
Despite the international race to provide humanitarian aid to alleviate the burdens of the people, this year's winter was harsh for the residents of the Gaza Strip, whose homes were demolished and who reside in inadequate tents to protect them from the harsh cold and heavy rains, amid expectations that they will not be able to withstand severe weather phenomena.
Palestinian experts and officials from the Gaza Strip told Al-Ittihad that winter temperatures reach very low rates, and that the matter requires providing more means of heating and protection from the cold, which depend mainly on providing fuel, calling for the necessity of international solidarity to support the people of the Strip. Their difficult conditions, with expectations of the spread of epidemics and infectious diseases among the population.
Ayman Al-Raqab, professor of political science at Al-Quds University, explained that “the winter season, as usual, is difficult because of the rain, storms, and frost, and in Gaza it is even more difficult with the conditions of war, the destruction of homes, and the Strip’s hospitals being out of service.”
Al-Raqab added in a statement to Al-Ittihad that the situation in Gaza is “unfortunate,” as the rains flooded the tents and made them unfit for living, with a shortage of clothes, as the residents of the Strip lost all their luggage during the war. He pointed out the necessity of providing mattresses, heating devices, and blankets so that the residents, especially Children and the elderly are resilient in the face of difficult situations.
United Nations concerns have recently increased about the spread of water-borne diseases such as cholera and chronic diarrhea, coinciding with the lack of clean drinking water and unsanitary conditions.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) stated that the crisis in the Gaza Strip is worsening and the population is on the streets and in need of everything.
In turn, the Palestinian Information Commissioner in Gaza, Dr. Ahmed Hosni, confirmed that since the beginning of the war in Gaza, the UAE hastened to provide various aid to the residents of the Strip and operated an air bridge through Operation “The Gallant Knight 3,” through which it provided food, medical and health supplies, tents, and other supplies. The Palestinians need it in light of a large displacement to southern Gaza in light of the extreme cold.
Hosni said in a statement to Al-Ittihad: The residents of Gaza are suffering from all directions, due to the military escalation and the spread of hunger, disease and extreme cold, calling for the necessity of international institutions to join forces to save the people of the Gaza Strip from an imminent disaster in these difficult circumstances.