Palestine is about to be hit by
Storm Byron, which is forecast to bring flash floods, strong winds, and hail. In Gaza, over
50% of the population now lives in makeshift tents. When this storm hits, hundreds of thousands of people will be at risk.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, nearly
850,000 people, currently sheltering in 761 displacement sites in the Gaza Strip, face the highest risk of flooding this week.
This is the third winter the people of Gaza will endure during the ongoing
genocide. Despite the ‘ceasefire’, Israel continues its policy of collective punishment, blocking essential goods and services required to sustain human life.
Oxfam’s Chris McIntosh has described how “the Israelis have not permitted tents to enter Gaza for many months. The only thing they are allowing at this point is some tarpaulin, which is not going to do much for people who need proper shelter.”
The vast majority of tents and shelter equipment are still being denied entry, forcing families to build makeshift shelters from whatever materials they can find. A storm like Storm Byron will destroy most of these fragile structures, leaving hundreds of thousands exposed to the elements with nothing above their heads. Flooding from the storm will also make it harder to separate drinking water from wastewater, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases across Gaza.
As Israeli
media is warning its citizens of the
severity of the incoming storm, Israel blocks basic shelter and necessities from entering Gaza for the two million people it illegally and militarily
occupies.
The designated
apartheid state continues to ensure Gaza is unhabitable and unsurvivable for Palestinians, I call on you to take decisive action.
- Impose full, comprehensive sanctions on Israel.
- Enforce a complete two-way trade embargo, ending all import and export activity.
- Immediately end all arms sales and intelligence cooperation.
- Ensure unimpeded access for aid and humanitarian organisations.
Your constituent,
[Full Name]
[Full Address]
