Floods in Gaza are blocking roads, impeding movement and hindering the work of ambulance crews as Israel’s offensive against Hamas continues to kill thousands of Palestinians.
Rescue worker Hani Abou Khossah said the rain adds to the challenges thrown up by limited resources. “There were locations we went to that were already flooded with rainwater,” he told The National.
“This makes our work all the more difficult and places the patient or injured person at risk of contracting diseases because the water is contaminated as a result of the shelling.”
Israel’s strikes and shelling have killed at least 18,800 Palestinians in the coastal enclave since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, according to the local health authorities.
Meanwhile, more than 1.9 million people are believed to have been displaced in the past two months, with many fleeing to Rafah, near the Egyptian border, as Israeli forces fight Hamas.
“We fear for our lives, and we fear for our patients at the same time. There are locations we cannot reach because of the rain, so we are forced to take a longer route, which delays our rescue mission and endangers the patient,” said Mr Abou Khossah.
After two months of relentless air strikes and fighting, the damage to infrastructure and the lack of effective waste management have aggravated the humanitarian conditions. Local authorities are warning of rodent and insect infestations.
But as heavy wind and torrential rain flooded streets and uprooted makeshift tents, another humanitarian crisis looms: the spread of waterborne diseases.
“We are living in a tragic situation caused by the rain. We were displaced from Gaza city in difficult weather conditions,” said Bassma Hannouna, a displaced Palestinian in the southern city of Khan Younis.
“We live in tents and have no other shelter to protect us. We couldn’t even cook food outdoors for our children because the rain was putting out the fire, our only source of energy. We don’t even have winter clothes,” she told The National.
Hannouna, who has two children, lives in a tent with her mother, husband, and one other family.
She said strong winds had damaged their tent and water flooded inside, reaching their belongings. “Our mattresses were soaked in water. We were soaked in water.”
Videos on social media showed a drenched young Palestinian struggling to carry a small body wrapped in a shroud through flooded streets where the water was above knee-high.
Others frantically tried to mop water out of their makeshift tents. At the same time, ambulances were stuck in the flood as paramedics, half-submerged in water, moved a patient.
Gaza has suffered floods in recent years, especially at the beginning of winter in 2021 and 2022. They have been worsened by the absence of proper infrastructure, a limited power supply, and damaged sewerage and drainage networks.
Riad Hamad, who was moved with his family from Beit Hanoun, north Gaza, and has been staying in a tent in Khan Younis for the past 65 days, said the aid he is getting is inadequate.
“We have been asking for more aid and more tents. But no one is listening,” he said.
“The wood is too expensive, and we have no money. I am burning paper to cook,” he said as he placed pieces of paper in a small, tin makeshift stove heating a pot of lentil soup.
“We are suffering. The situation is tough. The rain muddies the ground, and we don’t have water to wash up. We have to go to the hospital and wait for more than an hour in line to get a gallon of water,” he added.
This article is published in collaboration with Egab.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Specs%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
The biog
Year of birth: 1988
Place of birth: Baghdad
Education: PhD student and co-researcher at Greifswald University, Germany
Hobbies: Ping Pong, swimming, reading
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
