The key facts

  • Italy launched an emergency initiative worth €5 million ($5 million) to help Gaza after the flooding
  • Around 70,000 tents were flooded, dozens of walls destroyed, preliminary damage estimated at about $3 million
  • UNRWA: 1.98 million people, about 94% of Gaza's population, need shelter and basic supplies

Italy Allocates €5 Million in Emergency Aid to Gaza

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced on Wednesday that the country has launched a new emergency initiative worth €5 million ($5 million) to provide immediate assistance to the Gaza Strip after severe flooding in displacement camps. The funds will be channeled through the Development Cooperation agency. 'In the face of the serious flooding that in recent days has hit the displacement camps in Gaza, further worsening an already dramatic humanitarian situation, I decided to activate a new emergency initiative worth €5 million to bring immediate assistance to the population,' Tajani said during question time in the Chamber of Deputies.

Scale of the Disaster

According to available data, heavy rains and powerful winds flooded around 70,000 tents in Gaza, leaving Palestinian families without shelter. Officials warned that damaged infrastructure and a shortage of equipment are overwhelming emergency services. The storm, which began late Friday, also destroyed dozens of walls, according to the Government Media Office; preliminary damage is estimated at approximately $3 million.

Shelter Needs

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reported on Thursday that 1.98 million people — about 94% of Gaza's population — need shelter and other basic supplies, citing surveys conducted in June. According to the agency, 58% of residents face critical or catastrophic shelter needs.