600,000 Internally Displaced People in Gaza Seeking Shelter in 150 UNRWA Facilities

Members of the United Nations and the Red Crescent prepare aid for distribution to the Palestinians at the UNRWA facility in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip (AP)
Members of the United Nations and the Red Crescent prepare aid for distribution to the Palestinians at the UNRWA facility in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip (AP)
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600,000 Internally Displaced People in Gaza Seeking Shelter in 150 UNRWA Facilities

Members of the United Nations and the Red Crescent prepare aid for distribution to the Palestinians at the UNRWA facility in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip (AP)
Members of the United Nations and the Red Crescent prepare aid for distribution to the Palestinians at the UNRWA facility in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip (AP)

Nearly 600,000 internally displaced people are sheltering in 150 facilities of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in Gaza.

Also, at least 40 UNRWA installations have been impacted, the UN agency added in a post on Wednesday on the social media platform X.

"Our shelters are four times over their capacities - many people are sleeping in the streets as current facilities are overwhelmed," the agency added.

Since Oct.7, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed in West Bank clashes with the Israeli military, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

Israel's military intensified its bombing of southern Gaza overnight after one of the deadliest days for Palestinians since the conflict began as world leaders called for a halt to fighting to allow aid into the besieged enclave.

The United States and Russia are leading international calls for a pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas to allow aid into Gaza where Palestinians are living in harrowing conditions.

A total of 704 Palestinians, including 305 children, were killed on Tuesday, the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said, a toll the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said was the highest reported in a single day since the conflict began nearly three weeks ago.



Flooding Kills More Than 20 People in Morocco and Algeria 

A desert area is flooded after a heavy rainfall in Tazarine, Zagora, southern Morocco, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP)
A desert area is flooded after a heavy rainfall in Tazarine, Zagora, southern Morocco, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP)
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Flooding Kills More Than 20 People in Morocco and Algeria 

A desert area is flooded after a heavy rainfall in Tazarine, Zagora, southern Morocco, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP)
A desert area is flooded after a heavy rainfall in Tazarine, Zagora, southern Morocco, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP)

Torrential downpours hit North Africa's normally arid mountains and deserts over the weekend, causing flooding that killed nearly two dozen people in Morocco and Algeria and destroyed homes and critical infrastructure.

In Morocco, officials said the two days of storms surpassed historic averages, in some cases exceeding the annual average rainfall. The downpours affected some of the regions that experienced a deadly earthquake one year ago.

Meteorologists had predicted that a rare deluge could strike North Africa’s Sahara Desert, where many areas receive less than an inch of rain a year.

Officials in Morocco said 18 people were killed in rural areas and 56 homes collapsed. Nine people were missing. Drinking water and electrical infrastructure were damaged, along with major roads.

Among the dead in the region, where many tourists go to enjoy desert landscapes, were foreigners from Canada and Peru.

Rachid El Khalfi, Morocco’s Interior Ministry spokesperson, said in a statement on Monday that the government was working to restore communication and access to flooded regions in the “exceptional situation” and urged people to use caution.

In neighboring Algeria, which held a presidential election over the weekend, authorities said at least five died in the country's desert provinces. Interior Minister Brahim Merad called the situation “catastrophic” on state-owned television.

Algeria’s state-run news service APS said the government had sent thousands of civil protection and military officers to help with emergency response efforts and rescue families stuck in their homes. The floods also damaged bridges and trains.