Over 900,000 displaced Gazans at risk of flooding as severe storm approaches, authorities warn

GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL

More than 900,000 displaced civilians are at risk of flooding in southern Gaza as a severe weather system approaches, amid worsening humanitarian conditions and widespread destruction from Israel’s two-year war, municipal authorities warned Thursday.

The approaching storm “is dangerous and threatens to flood thousands of tents along the coastline and damage large areas inside the city,” Saeb Lakkan, a spokesman for Khan Younis Municipality, told Anadolu, citing collapsed sewage networks and rainwater retention ponds filled to levels that pose a threat to residents.

The Palestinian Meteorological Department has warned of possible flash floods on Friday and Saturday in valleys and low-lying areas.

Lakkan said municipal authorities are facing an “unprecedented and catastrophic” situation, with more than 900,000 displaced people living in severe hardship as destruction exceeds 85 percent of road, water, and sewage networks. He said the city cannot handle nearly 15 million tons of rubble left by Israeli airstrikes.

“Israeli attacks destroyed roughly 210,000 meters of roads, 300,000 meters of water pipelines and 120,000 meters of sewage lines, leaving the city almost completely paralyzed,” he added.

He cautioned that sewage stations may shut down entirely due to fuel shortages, which could lead to large-scale sewage overflow and flood entire neighborhoods.

The spokesman said since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, municipal authorities have received only 16,000 liters of diesel, enough to operate for just three days, while municipal crews work with rudimentary equipment to build earthen barriers and redirect valley pathways to protect tents and low-lying areas.

Since the ceasefire took effect, Israel has violated the agreement daily, resulting in hundreds of Palestinian casualties and limiting the entry of food and medical supplies, according to Gaza officials.

Lakkan said 1,900 of the city’s 2,200 rainwater drains were completely destroyed, though an emergency project supported by a UN-affiliated organization is cleaning the remaining drainage channels.

He said the municipality urgently needs mobile pumps and additional emergency equipment to prevent the city from flooding during the expected storm.

The Palestinian official described conditions in Khan Younis as “extremely bleak,” saying the city needs immediate international support to remove rubble and restore essential services.

He urged the international community to “act immediately to save two million displaced people facing the risk of flooding and death along Gaza’s coastline.”

Earlier Thursday, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said more than 282,000 homes in Gaza were destroyed or damaged during the Israeli war, forcing tens of thousands of families to live in tents as winter approaches.

During the past two winters, strong winds and heavy rain tore apart or flooded tens of thousands of tents, destroying personal belongings as they became coated in mud.

At the end of September, Gaza’s government media office reported that 93 percent of all displacement tents in the enclave had collapsed and were no longer suitable for living.

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