Rains wreak havoc on Gaza Strip

Gaza City: As the first winter showers lash the Gaza Strip, many streets have flooded, bringing vehicular traffic and the movement of people to a complete halt.

Numerous videos and photos shared on social media showed flooding in Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, and cars almost completely submerged in water.

Citizens expressed anger over the inability of local authorities to deal with the rainfall.

“This is our situation with the first rain falling on Gaza,” a teacher at a school affiliated with UNRWA said in a video circulated on social media, showing the flooded schoolyard that left students unable to leave their classrooms.

The students appeared in the video as they looked through the windows of their



classrooms.

The Gaza Strip has suffered from worn-out infrastructure for years. Authorities blame the situation on successive Israeli sieges and bombardments during various rounds of escalation, in addition to a lack of funding.

Since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in mid-2007, Israel has imposed a severe economic blockade, which has affected various aspects of life in the area. The enclave has since suffered four wars and multiple rounds of escalation.

Yahya Al-Sarraj, mayor of Gaza City, said: “The infrastructure in Gaza is old and dilapidated. The siege and wars on Gaza are exacerbating the consequences and effects of storms. We are working hard to fix what can be fixed with our limited capabilities.”