Many of those who died were babies or very young children demonstrating just how fragile the very youngest members of Gazan society are. This is especially true in Khan Younis, where one baby died from exposure due to the family’s tent collapsing from water inundation, leaving her exposed to the elements. Other children have died from severe hypothermia or have been trapped under debris caused by unreinforced walls or makeshift shelters collapsing.
Doctors at hospitals throughout Gaza, including al-Shifa Hospital located in Gaza City, report that there is an alarming increase in the number of deaths caused by prolonged exposure to extremely low temperatures since families cannot provide adequate protection or heating to their children during the winter months.
These deaths are not merely numbers on a page; they represent a humanitarian crisis where families are living in temporary shelters with inadequate insulation, clothing to keep them warm, or heating services and therefore are exceedingly vulnerable to environmental dangers that even the most basic shelter cannot adequately protect against their exposures.
Flooded Tents and Homelessness Amid Ongoing Humanitarian Challenges
Storm Byron highlighted the dismal conditions of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of people currently live in tents or on shelters that have been damaged and were previously unsafe. Floodwaters rushed into the low-lying areas where tents are placed and have soaked the tents and ruined all of the personal belongings; families are frantically seeking dry ground.
The UN and other humanitarian organizations have warned that unless there is an influx of shelter supplies (waterproof tents, tarps, sandbags, pumps, etc.) the conditions will rapidly deteriorate. However, there is still a lack of adequate humanitarian supplies and/or many items are being obstructed by the ongoing restrictions on border crossings into the enclave of Gaza.
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The Wider Humanitarian Context: War Aftermath and Aid Restrictions
The humanitarian impact of Storm Byron mixed with the protracted Humanitarian situation in Gaza due to years of violence and war. The destruction of infrastructure left by the fighting has compounded the effects of Storm Byron on the population who have been struggling for many years to acquire adequate food, medicines, clean water and fuel among many other items.
Even with a ceasefire established for some time already; the lack of ability to deliver adequate supplies of winterisation items continues to be a major impediment. UN and other Humanitarian agencies continue to call for an end to restrictions on humanitarian access, however, bureaucracy and politics continue to cause delays for essential supplies to people in Gaza.
Family members displaced by Storm Byron are suffering emotionally, as those who have lived with an uncertain existence over an extended period of time must now add another layer of suffering, including the coldness and dampness of their makeshift shelter and the loss of friends and family, including children. These events have created a renewed global focus on Gaza’s urgent need for ongoing Humanitarian assistance and the rebuilding of collapsed infrastructure.
Conclusion
The impact of Storm Byron on the people’s lives in Gaza has been compounded by years of violence and war, which created a dire Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza for nearly two decades, and Storm Byron has added to these challenges for the affected communities in Gaza and will continue until they are able to rebuild from the destruction caused by both the fighting and by the Storm.
This has furthered the emotional and psychological impact to families displaced by Storm Byron as well. Family members displaced by Storm Byron, have added trauma due to the fact that they now have yet another layer of suffering because they must now try and find appropriate shelter and survive in the harsh winter conditions. Family members will undoubtedly be dealing with feelings of emptiness and sadness as a result of losing their family members during this storm, and many staff of both organizations that provide Assistance to Gazans and the majority of humanitarian workers currently in Gaza, also are experiencing the same loss. Click here for the source
