Loss of housing forces displaced people in Gaza to make their own tents

2024-02-04 2024-02-04T13:19:31Z

Weather of Arabia - When Youssef Ibrahim migrated from the Nuseirat camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip to the city of Rafah in the far south, he expected to find tents ready to receive his family of 21 individuals. However , he found himself in a very difficult situation, as he did not find any support or service. This forced the family to live outdoors in the harsh cold.

After more than a week of waiting without seeing any help on the horizon to provide shelter, Youssef decided to start building his tent himself using money he borrowed from his father-in-law. He bought wood and nails from the market, in addition to nylon and plastic to cover the tent.

Youssef and his family are located in the “Mawasi Rafah” area adjacent to the border strip with Egypt, where about 300,000 displaced people live, according to some estimates, in this area that hosted more than a million refugees who fled to the city, which had a population of about 250,000 people before. the war.

Worn and fragile tents double the suffering of the displaced

The displaced people in the Gaza Strip are facing a huge humanitarian tragedy, as they lack even adequate shelter, and are forced to resort to flimsy tents to protect themselves from the winter rains. Khalaf, one of the displaced people in Gaza, says sadly:

“We cannot distinguish between the sound of bombing and the sound of thunder, and these weak tents do not provide sufficient protection from the cold and rain of winter.”

Most of these tents are erected using limited resources, and appear dilapidated and fragile in the face of the harsh winter, and are not equipped to withstand weather fluctuations, as videos spread on social media platforms show how Gaza residents make their tents from pieces of cloth they find, or from the remains of their possessions, and they use some Medical instruments from the nearby hospital are in the construction process.

The harshness of winter and the lack of warmth

One of the women shared her story, revealing that her three children sleep in a tent that she made especially for them. She points out that they share one blanket in the cold and air, while the tent does not provide adequate protection from the rain that falls on them. She says:

“We are a family of five, me, my husband and three children. We used pieces of cloth and nylon that we got from the hospital to make our tent. We have one cover that is enough for all our family members.”