Gaza is Flooded. 70,000 tents gone in 12 hours. Your Help Needed Now!
Dear Members and Friends of MRSCP,
On Saturday it was reported that heavy winter rains in Gaza have flooded and blown away more than 70,000 tents with losses estimated at more than $3 million. In addition damaged building walls are collapsing, causing injuries. The UN reports that 950,000 displaced people are living in areas prone to flooding, with more than 400,000 of these considered at very high risk.
Babies, the elderly and the sick are especially vulnerable to the miserable and unhealthy conditions caused by these floods. On Sunday it was reported that five people including four children were killed in the collapse of a sandbank. Israeli authorities continue to block the entry of tents and caravans, as well as critical construction materials and fuel required to run water pumps, all waiting at the border.
For more details including interviews, videos and photos from the ground, see “Enough. Have Mercy on Us” Suffering in Gaza Escalates as 70,000 Tents Destroyed by Floods (Common Dreams) and Rain Floods 70,000 Displaced Families’ Tents in Gaza (Al Jazeera).
Then please read the alert below from HEAL Palestine and consider an emergency donation.
As always, we thank you for your support.
Barb O.
Dear HEAL Community,
Families in Gaza are waking up in floodwater. The first storm of the season hit on November 7 and it did not hold back. Within 12 hours, 70,000 tents had flooded. Water rose 12 to 16 inches at displacement camps from a single day of rain. Families who had been sleeping in those tents had nowhere to go.
Because of supporters like you, we have delivered over 16,000 tents to displaced families across Gaza since last year. We need you again, because families on the ground cannot wait much longer.
We have 10,000 tents ready to ship and a team already on the ground. OCHA estimates Gaza needs 121,000 tents to get through this winter. The gap is massive, but every tent we move is a family out of the floodwater.
$387 puts a tent over a family of 6 to 8 people, prioritized for the most vulnerable households.
Please donate today. And if you can, share this email or our campaign page with your friends and family. The more people who see this, the faster we can move.
With gratitude,
HEAL Palestine Team