Gaza: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned on Friday of the severe deterioration of humanitarian conditions after a severe "Storm Byron" triggered inside the Gaza Strip earlier this week. The storm brought heavy rainfall that has already flooded multiple displacement sites and placed nearly 795,000 displaced Palestinians at heightened risk.
According to Kuwait News Agency, a statement released from Geneva by the IOM said that this severe storm system triggered flooding in Greece and Cyprus before reaching Gaza, warning that rainfall is expected to continue in the hours ahead, further straining conditions for families already living in unsafe shelters. IOM Director General Amy Pope emphasized the critical need for immediate and unhindered access to deliver tools and supplies to those struggling to maintain their livelihoods under these harsh conditions.
The IOM's Needs and Population Monitoring (NPM) programme, working through site management partners on the ground, identified more than 140,000 people affected by earlier rains that had already flooded 219 active displacement sites. Since the 10 October ceasefire, the IOM has dispatched more than one million shelter items to partners in Gaza, though these supplies cannot withstand flooding.
Haitham Aqel, Emergency and Relief Team Leader for the Palestinian Housing Council, a local relief organization and partner to IOM, highlighted the dire situation. "Palestinians in Gaza are confined within less than 50 percent of the Strip. Yesterday we witnessed widespread flooding and with infrastructure already devastated, the rainfall caused severe damage," he said. Aqel stressed the urgent need for heavy machinery to remove rubble, more shelter items, and the initiation of recovery efforts so Gaza can begin to rebuild.