Deir al-Balah:The death toll from a sand cliff collapse on tents housing displaced individuals in the Ard El-Rebat displacement camp, located in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, has now reached five. The victims include a woman and three children, while five other civilians sustained injuries in the incident that occurred on Sunday evening.
According to Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA – English, rescue teams initially recovered the body of a woman from beneath the collapsed sand, followed by the bodies of four more victims, including three children. The teams also rescued five injured individuals from the site, while search operations for any missing persons continue.
This tragic event highlights the worsening conditions for displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Heavy rainfall and a low-pressure weather system have further exacerbated the situation, flooding tents and damaging shelter centers. There have been repeated calls for urgent intervention to provide safe shelter and winter supplies.
National and international organizations have sounded the alarm over the more than 2,000 buildings in the area that are damaged, cracked, or structurally unsound. These buildings are at risk of collapse, particularly under continued rainfall and strong winds, posing a significant threat to the lives of Palestinians residing in or near these structures.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued a warning on Saturday about the dangers faced by displaced families living in flood-prone zones and in buildings already compromised by heavy rainfall. The agency highlighted the shortage of relief supplies and urged for the immediate admission of winter supplies alongside additional funding to support the humanitarian response.