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UN PhotoOCHA / GAZA WINTER STORM
STORY: OCHA / GAZA WINTER STORM
TRT: 06:33
SOURCE: OCHA
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT OCHA ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 24 NOVEMBER 2024, AL MAWASI, GAZA
1. Various shots, the displacement tents on the Al Mawasi seaside
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic), community leader and displaced man:
“We have been here at the see port for the past year and four months, displaced, from the wall to the wall there are people in Al Mina. What happened in Al Mina yesterday was a massacre. The sea advanced four to five meters and took the children, took those who were asleep and took the mattresses leaving nothing for the people.”
3. Medium shot, the sea entering and flooding the tents
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Abd al Hadi Abu Ammra, Community leader, displaced & lost his tent to the flooding:
“The impact of the damages of the flooding of the sea yesterday. Here, there were five families living in this tent, and there were two elderly people. They are very old people. And here you see the impact of the damage. This place now is not qualified for the people to stay in the tent.”
5. Various shots, damage to the tents
6. Wide shot, kids playing on seashore
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Abd al Hadi Abu Ammra, Community leader, displaced & lost his tent to the flooding:
“My tent was here and it destroyed completely. And as you see here, there were a lot of damages. And this is the impact of the damages that was caused by the flooding of the sea.”
8. Wide shot, the seashore
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Abd al Hadi Abu Ammra, Community leader, displaced & lost his tent to the flooding:
“And many tents here in the Al Mawasi area disappeared with their luggage. So now there are a lot of people they are homeless, without tents, without luggage, without a gallon of water to drink for the children. And now there is no food for the people.”
10. Traveling shot, the displacement site
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Abd al Hadi Abu Ammra, Community leader, displaced & lost his tent to the flooding:
“We are under the international community who every time talks about the humanitarian rights. Where are the humanitarian rights?”
12. Pan right, seashore
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Husam Saleh, OCHA:
“Yesterday there was heavy rains and wind which has led to high tides and that affected people. There are approximately 7000 families living by the shoreline. Hundreds of tents were flooded yesterday night, taking the belongings of people.”
14. Traveling shot, the destruction on the road to Al Mawasi
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Husam Saleh, OCHA:
“We have been advocating for the entry of shelter and items for months to prepare for winter. Winter is here.”
16. Traveling shot, the displacement tents on the seaside
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Husam Saleh, OCHA:
“There are hundreds of trucks carrying shelter and an office outside Gaza ready to be shipped in to Gaza to respond to the needs.”
18. Traveling shot, the displacement tents on the seaside
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Husam Saleh, OCHA:
“We need urgent and unimpeded entry of those trucks so that we can respond to the people's needs appropriately.”
20. Wide shot, man walking into his destroyed tent
21. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) displaced man:
“Come see. The water entered inside, look how. These are children. What is their fault? Look, what is their fault? What is their fault, my god? What did we do in our lives?”
22. Traveling shot, the displacement tents on the seaside
23. SOUNDBITE (Arabic), displaced man:
“The sea, the seat ate us. Tonight, it displaced us with our little children. If it were not for our neighbors who helped us. There is no mattress, no cover, nothing. As you can see, no mattress, or cover, or anything.”
24. Traveling shot, the destruction on the road to Al Mawasi
25. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) displaced man:
“Look at my daughters, they are barefoot. There is nothing in her feet in this cold. Look at the other one, there is nothing on her feet. We cannot, we cannot wear clothes like other people. We ask for mercy from God and that you look upon us with merciful eyes.”
26. Wide shot, entering the tent of a disabled man
27. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) displaced and disabled man:
“Last night, the sea pulled children and everybody knows, and perhaps the media photographed this too. This is the life of all the citizens at the Khan Younis shore.”
28. Wide shot, an old man showing the destruction on his tent
29. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) displaced and disabled man:
“We are asking for the basic rights, tents, tarpaulins, to protect our children from death, whether it is from the Israelis or from the cold.”
30. Traveling shot, the destruction on the road to Al Mawasi
On 24 November 2024, Gaza experienced its first strong winter storm of the season, with 90 percent of the population still internally displaced. The Mawasi area of Khan Younis was among the hardest hit, as heavy rain and high tides flooded multiple tents that were ill-prepared for the season’s weather.
In recent weeks and months, the UN and humanitarian partners have made significant efforts to help people prepare for the rainy season. However, heavy restrictions, ongoing hostilities, armed looting, and other challenges have severely hindered the import of essential equipment and supplies, leaving people even more vulnerable.
