AHMED ATEF (GAZA, CAIRO)
Amid shelling, gunfire, and heavy rains, displaced residents of the Gaza Strip face severe challenges this winter. Besieged and grappling with a collapsing health system, tens of thousands of wounded and sick individuals face the threat of infectious diseases and epidemics.
Despite international efforts to provide humanitarian aid, this winter is particularly harsh for those whose homes have been destroyed, now living in tents inadequate against the freezing cold and heavy rains. Concerns are increasingly growing about their ability to endure these extreme weather conditions.
Palestinian experts and officials from Gaza, speaking to Aletihad, emphasised the dire need for more heating and protection against the cold, dependent on the availability of fuel. They urged international cooperation to support the people of the Strip in these difficult conditions, anticipating the spread of infectious diseases among the population.
Ayman al-Raqab, a professor of political science at the University of Jerusalem, described the winter in Gaza as exceptionally challenging due to war conditions, destruction of homes, and hospitals out of service.
In a statement to Aletihad, Al-Raqab highlighted the “regrettable” situation, with rains flooding tents and making them uninhabitable. With the loss of clothes and belongings during the war, he emphasised the urgent need for mattresses, heating means, and blankets, particularly for children and the elderly.
The United Nations has expressed increased concerns about the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera and chronic diarrhoea, exacerbated by a shortage of clean drinking water and unsanitary conditions. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) noted that the crisis in Gaza is deepening, with people in the streets needing all available resources.
Dr. Ahmed Hosni, Palestinian Media Commissioner for Fateh in Gaza, praised the UAE’s rapid response in providing diverse assistance to Gaza’s residents since the war’s onset.
The “Gallant Knight 3” operation established an air bridge, delivering food, medical supplies, tents, and other necessities to Palestinians facing large-scale displacement to the south of Gaza in freezing conditions.
Speaking to Aletihad, Hosni underscored the suffering of Gaza’s residents from military escalation, hunger, disease, and severe cold, calling on international institutions to unite in saving the people of the Strip from an imminent disaster in these challenging circumstances.