ABU DHABI: The UAE welcomed the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) preliminary rulings on the Gaza Strip that demands to take provisional measures to protect the lives of civilians in Gaza, and to stop any statements or practices, and punish direct and public incitement to commit genocide against the Palestinian people in the Strip.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasised in a statement that the UAE welcomes the decision of the ICJ, which aims to halt Israeli violations, and provide protection for the Palestinians.
The Ministry stressed that the UAE appreciates the efforts of South Africa, and reaffirms the importance of providing protection for civilians, and ensuring the entry and delivery of humanitarian and relief aid urgently, sustainably and without impediment. The Ministry also urged to avoid further loss of life, and prevent fueling the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Furthermore, it reiterated the importance of achieving the two-state solution with an independent Palestinian
state.
Source: Emirates News Agency
RAMALLAH: In the midst of an unrelenting Israeli onslaught that has persisted since October of the previous year, two young men diligently work to assist an elderly individual in navigating a large water pool caused by heavy rains in one of the displacement camps in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.
The torrential downpours have exacerbated the plight of displaced individuals in camps and shelters in both northern and southern Gaza. The rains have flooded their tents, causing irreparable damage to personal belongings-sparse as they may be, consisting mainly of clothing and blankets.
Most of the displaced individuals, residing in tents and shelters, hastily abandoned their homes across various regions of the Gaza Strip, seeking refuge from the relentless airstrikes and artillery shelling by the invading Israeli forces. Carrying minimal possessions, they have become vulnerable to biting cold, hunger, and thirst.
Estimates indicate that approximately 85% of Gaza’s population, around 1.93 million civilia
ns, are forcibly displaced. This includes many who have been displaced multiple times, as families continually move in search of safety. Nearly 1.4 million internally displaced individuals are registered in 155 UNRWA facilities across Gaza, with around a million registered in 94 UNRWA shelters in the south.
In one of the tents, a group of people, including children, gathers around a metal sheet they’ve set ablaze using plastic materials, desperately seeking warmth due to the lack of heating means. Unprotected from the rains, these makeshift tents are ill-prepared to withstand the fierce winds and freezing temperatures.
“We drowned during the night from rainwater that entered our tents in the area. The tents provide no protection from the rain, and they are ill-equipped to resist the biting winds and freezing cold,” laments one displaced individual.
“We only want to return to our homes,” he adds.
Approximately 65,000 housing units throughout Gaza have been destroyed or rendered uninhabitable, with over 290
,000 residential units suffering varying degrees of damage since the start of the onslaught.
In another tent, an individual struggles to keep his bedding and blankets dry, attempting to shield them from rainwater that has inundated his crowded tent. However, his efforts prove futile.
“The tent offers no protection from the rain. All the mattresses and blankets are soaked and no longer usable, and it’s impossible to dry them in these prevailing weather conditions,” shares one displaced woman.
In the same camp, a young man works diligently to remove rainwater that has invaded his tent, filling a plastic container to carry it outside. Meanwhile, a woman tries to dry her children’s clothes and blankets with her own hands.
The Rafah governorate has become the primary haven for displaced individuals, accommodating over a million people in densely populated environments due to the heightened Israeli aggression in Khan Yunis, Deir al-Balah, and other parts of the enclave.
Moreover, heating facilities are scarce
due to fuel shortages and the persistent power outages since the onset of the onslaught. This compels residents to ignite fires using whatever wooden and plastic materials are available.
However, this practice introduces additional challenges as the smoke and noxious odors emanating from the burning materials pose health risks, especially in tents housing the sick and infants.
The displacement camps, mostly established in the southern regions of Gaza, are set up in open areas where strong winds and cold temperatures prevail. The majority of these tents are made of fabrics and plastic, lacking resistance to rain and winds.
Navigating between the tents in these camps is nearly impossible, as rainwater inundates every space. Mud pits along the pathways between the tents float above the water’s surface.
The plight of the displaced does not end with flooded tents, lack of clothing and blankets, and the absence of heating means. The scarcity of food and medicine foreshadows a looming catastrophe of famine and t
he spread of diseases and epidemics among them. This is especially critical given the warnings about the mixing of sewage water with rainwater.
Additionally, the displaced face dual challenges of displacement and harsh winter conditions, including the risk of exposure to the cold weather, leading to respiratory illnesses and colds, particularly among children.
According to the Ministry of Health, there has been a significant and alarming increase in the recorded cases of epidemics since mid-October of the previous year. The recorded cases include 180,000 acute respiratory infections, 136,418 cases of diarrhea (with cases in children under five increasing from 48,000 to 71,000 in just one week starting December 17-equivalent to 3,200 new diarrhea cases daily), 55,472 cases of scabies and lice, 38,010 cases of dermatitis, 5,330 cases of chickenpox, and 4,683 cases of jaundice.
Gaza is on the verge of an imminent risk of infectious disease outbreaks due to unsanitary conditions, overcrowding, and the severe b
urden on the healthcare system, rendering it ineffective.
Source: Palestine news and Information Agency