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Nylon and Blanket Distribution for families in Beit-Lahia, Gaza Strip

by Terre des hommes | Terre des hommes (Tdh) - Switzerland
Wednesday, 15 January 2014 13:58 GMT

* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Nylon and Blanket Distribution for families in Beit-Lahia, Gaza Strip

13 Jan 2014 Humanitarian crisesPalestinian Territories
 

Severe floods hit the Gaza Strip last December and provoked the emergency evacuation of over 4000 people. On Saturday 14 December, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) stated that “large swathes of northern Gaza are a disaster area with water as far as the eye can see,” after the Gaza Strip witnessed four severe days of torrential rain.

Active in the Palestinian Territories (http://www.tdh.ch/en/countries/palestinian-territories) since 1973, the delegation of Terre des hommes (Tdh) immediately communicated with Beit-Lahia Development Association (BLDA, our implementing partner in Gaza North) to enquire about the most-gravely damaged areas in Beit-Lahia, the flood-damaged homes, and the poorly built homes deeming its residents vulnerable to rainfall. Three areas were identified as the mostly damaged: Al Aslan, Al Manshiyya and Khazzan. A total of 264 families have been affected by the storm in Beit-Lahia. Among them, 22 families were found very vulnerable and in need of emergency help. Tdh provided them with plastic nylon to cover the ceiling of their roof-less houses in order to prevent water leaks during upcoming rainfall.

Emergency assessment

Our Tdh team visited the houses of these 22 families in need to evaluate the conditions of the houses, the level of damage caused by the storm, and to measure the amount of the nylon required for fixing each house. After this first assessment, the team proceeded with the purchase of the required materials to help the families. The Tdh team along with a team from BLDA headed to the houses of the families to help with the setting of the nylon in order to recover their ceilings.

Helping the minorities

Besides, Tdh also helped 86 other families living in the marginalized areas of Beit-Lahia by providing them with winter blankets, to protect them from the unprecedented cold which has hit the Gaza Strip this winter. Providing such emergency aid for the families in one of the most marginalized areas in the Gaza Strip makes it more likely that those families won’t have to evacuate their houses in case of any similar future condition.

Every year, Terre des hommes offers sustainable solutions and a better future for over two million children and their relatives. Learn more about our projects in the Palestinian territories (http://www.tdh.ch/en/countries/palestinian-territories).

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