By Hiyam Noir – Gaza
After a long drought during the summer months, prolonged heavy rains in Gaza Strip are severely damaging the poor infrastructure, causing landslides in many places threatened people’s lives, flooding the streets, homes and property in the northern and southern parts.
In Khan Younis many buildings and homes of the al Akhras family have collapsed and are flooded with water. 12 people are reported to be injured, three of them seriously, the injured are taken to al Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
In Rafah near the border with Egypt, the big tomb of the famous family Zoghrob has collapsed from the heavy rains and the flooding, over two smuggling tunnels.
In the early morning Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, the streets of the camp were filled with water and sewage, many residents could not leave their homes because of the flooding. Gaza community rescue teams are trying to stop the flooding to ensure that no greater damage from the rains will occur.
The Jabalya municipality have appealed for pumps to remove the water from the homes. The Israeli bombardments, siege and the international economical blockade of Gaza Strip, is to be blamed for the flooding and the heavy damage to the Gaza Strip infrastructure.
Because of the bombings, the siege and the economical blockade, the Gaza Community have not been able to import material to rebuild and repair the infrastructural damage done to the areas at risk. The infrastructure in Gaza Strip has long suffered from water flooding, partly caused by poor sewage draining systems, the roads and drainage systems are in urgent need to be rebuilt and repaired.
The families hard stricken by the flooding disaster, which has caused personal injuries and great damage to homes and property, will receive financial help to rebuild their homes. The Hamas government in Gaza and the Fatah government in Ramalla have agreed in cooperating, together trying to solve urgent immediate needs.
– Hiyam Noir contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.
