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Flooding drives 40,000 Gaza residents from homes
Flooding from heavy rains forced some 40,000 Gaza Strip residents from their homes, including thousands who were taken to safety in boats and military trucks, officials said Saturday.
14
December, 2013
The
downpour that began late Wednesday was part of a storm that covered
parts of Israel and the West Bank with snow, paralyzed Jerusalem and
left thousands in Israel without power. Israeli TV stations showed
footage of armoured personnel carriers rescuing motorists and said it
was the most severe snow storm in decades
Even
Gaza with its milder coastal climate saw some snow, though
lower-lying areas were mainly hit by flooding.
Rescue
efforts were hampered by fuel shortages and rolling power cuts that
have become more severe in recent months, since Egypt tightened a
border blockade of the territory, ruled by the Islamic militant Hamas
since 2007.
Israel
has also restricted access to Gaza since the Hamas takeover, though
it sent diesel fuel for heating and four water pumps during the
weekend storm.
Once
the storm is over, "the world community needs to bring effective
pressure to end the blockade of Gaza," said Chris Gunness, a
spokesman for the main U.N aid agency in the territory. Gaza
residents "must be freed from these man-made constraints to deal
with the impact of a natural calamity such as this," he added.
In
the low-lying areas of Gaza, water has been rising since heavy rains
began late Wednesday, flooding streets and homes.
One
of the hardest hit areas was Nafak Street in Gaza City's Sheik Radwan
neighbourhood, close to a rainwater reservoir.
Said
Halawa, an area resident, said the reservoir overflowed Wednesday
evening. By Thursday, water had poured into the ground floor of his
two-story home where he and he and 41 other members of his extended
family live, Halawa said.
The
family called for help and was evacuated by boat from the upper
floor. Halawa said he and his family were taken to a makeshift
shelter in a neighbourhood school. "We got some assistance, some
blankets and some food, but I didn't save any of my belongings,"
said the 52-year-old taxi driver.
At
another neighbour school, 30 families found shelter. Children slept
on desks and on mattresses on the floor. Some of those at the shelter
huddled around wood fires in open-air walkways outside the classrooms
to stay warm.
In
all, the flooding forced about 40,000 people from their homes,
including more than 5,200 who were taken to safety in boats, military
trucks or heavy construction vehicles, government officials said.
Another
hard-hit area was the refugee camp of Jebaliya in northern Gaza. The
local Al Aqsa TV station, run by Hamas, showed Prime Minister Ismail
Haniyeh and Interior Minister Fathi Hamad, both of Hamas, touring
Jebaliya in a boat.
Housing
Minister Yousef Jhariz, who headed the government's crisis team, said
the storm caused at least $64 million in damages. One man died from
smoke inhalation after burning coal for warmth in his house, health
officials said.
By
Saturday afternoon, teams were fixing downed power lines and piled up
sandbags in some areas to protect homes from flooding.
The
storm hit Gaza at a time when it is buckling under the tightened
border closure by Egypt. Over the summer, Egypt's military
intensified its blockade after ousting Egypt's Islamist president,
Mohammed Morsi, a Hamas ally.
Jerusalem
and several West Bank towns, meanwhile, were crippled by snow for a
third day Saturday. About 28,000 homes in Israel were still without
electricity on Saturday, officials said.
Soldiers
moved from house to house in some areas of Jerusalem to check on
residents. Highways in and out of Jerusalem remained closed to
private cars and residents were advised to stay off the roads.
The
only way out of Jerusalem on Saturday was by train.
Sietvanit
Tzirnishki had boarded the train headed from Jerusalem to snow-free
Tel Aviv, Israel's coastal metropolis.
"I've
been stuck here in Jerusalem for two days at my sister's apartment
that did not have electricity," she said. "We have been
going from one apartment to the other to get some heat and some food
and I'm glad to get back to Tel Aviv now."
Schools
in Jerusalem and the West Bank were to remain closed Sunday, the
start of the work week in the region.
Cairo hit by first snowfall in more than 100 years: Jerusalem covered in one meter of snow
13
December, 2013
December 13, 2013 – CAIRO — Snow coated domes and minarets Friday as a record Middle East storm compounded the suffering of Syrian refugees, sent the Israeli army scrambling to dig out stranded motorists and gave Egyptians a rare glimpse of snow in their capital. Nearly three feet of snow closed roads in and out of Jerusalem, which is set in high hills, and thousands in and around the city were left without power. Israeli soldiers and police rescued hundreds trapped in their cars by snow and ice. In the West Bank, the branches of olive trees groaned under the weight of snow. In Cairo, where local news reports said the last recorded snowfall was more than 100 years ago, children in outlying districts capered in white-covered streets, and adults marveled at the sight, tweeting pictures of snow-dusted parks and squares. In other parts of the city, rain and hail rocketed down. On social media, some joked that the snowfall was the mystical work of Gen. Abdel Fattah Sisi, the military strongman who is the focus of something of a cult of personality among his followers. Sisi led the coup five months ago against the highly unpopular but democratically elected Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi. Storm-driven waves lashed Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, and fishermen in the ancient port city of Alexandria were warned by authorities against putting out to sea. In the Sinai Peninsula, snow fell on Mt. Sinai and St. Catherine’s monastery at its foot. Sleet washed the dusty fronds of desert palm trees.
The inclement weather worsened the situation for tens of thousands of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, where many live in makeshift camps, abandoned buildings and other temporary sites lacking heat and protection from the elements. In Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, many refugees were digging out snow from their provisional shelters amid subfreezing conditions. The situation is likely worse for multitudes of displaced people inside rebel-held and contested areas of Syria, where clashes and blockades by both sides in the country’s civil war have severely hampered delivery of aid. In Israel, where the storm was described as the heaviest December snowfall since 1953, thick clouds temporarily closed Ben-Gurion International Airport, causing the diversion of two international flights to Cyprus. Jerusalem’s mayor, Nir Barkat, likened the storm to a snow tsunami.
–LA Times
Rare,
historic snowstorm paralyzes Jerusalem:
Snow continues to fall across Israel Friday morning, reaching new
regions of the country and causing major power outages and road
closures. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat released a statement saying “we
are battling a storm of rare ferocity.” The capital has over 37
centimeters (15 inches) of snow, with deeper snowfall in other areas.
A weather forecaster on public radio described the storm as
“historic,” as Jerusalem temperatures already dropped to 2
degrees Celsius (35.6 Fahrenheit), and are expected to drop below
freezing. Snow is anticipated to continue falling through Saturday.
The views in Jerusalem are spectacular, as the hills of the city turn
white and the rooftops in older neighborhoods wear a white contrast
to the Jerusalem stone. A power outage has affected more than half of
Jerusalem, although some areas are reporting a return of electricity.
In Kiryat Moshe, Merkaz Harav Yeshiva opened its dormitory and dining
room to stranded families who reached the entrance of the city, where
the yeshiva is located, but could not get to their destination. Many
more drivers were stuck on the roads in the city overnight, without
food and water, after attempting to reach the city to see the snow.
The Jerusalem municipality is continuing with the rescue operations that began Thursday night and have so far saved over 2,000 people. The IDF and the Border Police are assisting in the operation. Drivers who have been rescued have been taken to the Binyanei HaUma (International Convention Center), a community center in Mevaseret Zion and the Ofer Camp on Highway 443. The Israeli police have released a particularly strong warning to drivers in affected areas against going out in blizzard conditions. Police have warned residents across the country to avoid leaving their homes for any reason during the snowfall. Judea and Central Samaria villages are also receiving more snow – some for the first time in over ten years – including in Ariel, Nofim, Yakir, and Barkan. –Israel National News
Heavy snowfall prolongs emergency in Israel and West Bank
One thousand mile long snowstorm to pummel U.S. Northeast
13
December, 2013
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