UN: 55,000 Families Affected by Recent Rains and Storms in Gaza

SadaNews - The United Nations announced that about 55,000 Palestinian families have been affected by the recent rains and storms in the Gaza Strip, with their properties and shelters suffering damage.

This was stated by Farhan Haq, the Deputy Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, during a press conference held at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday.

Haq added: "The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that about 55,000 families across Gaza have been affected so far by the recent rains, and that their properties and shelters have been damaged or destroyed due to the storm."

He pointed out that the storms and rains have also caused damage to dozens of child-friendly spaces in Gaza, disrupting child protection activities, which has affected around 30,000 children throughout the area.

Haq also warned that ongoing Israeli obstacles continue to hinder humanitarian organizations' efforts to expand their interventions more rapidly in Gaza.

The heavy rains that have hit Gaza in recent days have exacerbated the harsh living conditions in an area devastated by intensive Israeli bombing, leading to the flooding of tents made from primitive materials.

Medical sources reported that the number of fatalities reaching hospitals due to the weather system and severe cold in the Gaza Strip has risen to 13 deaths.