‘Tents don’t protect us’: Rains flood displaced Palestinians in Gaza

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are vulnerable to flooding as Israel continues to block the entry of mobile homes into Gaza. Az-Zawayda, Gaza Strip – On Saturday night, water began rushing into Jaber al-Kaseeh’s tent in central Gaza’s az-Zawayda area, waking him and his family as heavy rain swept across Gaza. Soon the tent’s floor was flooded, soaking mattresses, carpets, blankets and spoiling what little food the family had managed to keep.

“Everyone woke up and stayed awake, asking their neighbours about the extent of damage and inquiring about children,” Jaber, who is in his 70s, told Al Jazeera. He described the area outside the displacement camp, where thousands of Palestinians have taken refuge, as a swimming pool. More than 70,000 tents have been flooded since heavy rains began late on Friday, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.

Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are sheltering in locations considered “highly vulnerable” to more flooding.