Islamabad (TDI): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry to urgently intensify humanitarian assistance for Gaza, where heavy rains and flooding have inundated tens of thousands of tents sheltering displaced Palestinians.
In a statement posted on X on Monday, the prime minister said he had instructed the ministry to pursue all possible avenues to expand relief efforts for the people of Gaza.
Describing images from the besieged territory as “heart rending,” PM Shehbaz said Palestinian children were trapped in flooded tents, facing extreme cold and starvation with nowhere to seek shelter. “I have directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pursue all possible means to escalate humanitarian assistance urgently,” he said.
The prime minister also expressed deep concern over continued Israeli actions restricting the delivery of essential humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. He strongly condemned the alleged violations of the ceasefire and international law, as well as what he termed continued aggression against the Palestinian people.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated further following heavy rainfall that flooded temporary shelters across the territory. According to Gaza’s government media office, at least 70,000 tents were inundated within 12 hours on Sunday, affecting tens of thousands of displaced people and causing injuries. No fatalities had been reported in the initial account.
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The flooding also washed away shelters, leaving families exposed to harsh weather conditions. Gaza’s Civil Defense Service said it had received around 1,500 distress calls from displaced residents seeking assistance.
Municipal and civil defense officials said fuel shortages and extensive damage to emergency equipment had severely limited their ability to respond to the flooding.
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They said Israeli military operations had destroyed hundreds of vehicles, including bulldozers and equipment used to pump water, further weakening local emergency response capabilities.
