GAZA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- A devastating winter storm has been sweeping through the Gaza Strip, making the displaced Palestinians' struggle for survival far more challenging.

The flimsy tents housing the displaced people are no match for the tempestuous, chilly winds.

For the people of Gaza, the storm is not merely an act of nature but an additional tragedy in a sequence of calamities that have torn apart their lives.

"I tried to shelter inside my tent with my daughter and husband, but the strong wind tore our tent apart, and we were left exposed to the cold," Halima Baraka, a mother living in a temporary tent in the city of Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, told Xinhua.

"My husband and I couldn't even protect our daughter from the freezing cold. There was no one to help us," she complained.

Not far from Baraka, Om Ahmed al-Ramli, fought desperately to salvage her belongings after the storm ravaged her tent.

"These are not homes. They are just bits of cloth that could barely offer protection," said al-Ramli angrily. "Now, even that cloth is gone. The storm has swept away everything, including our last hope."

"Palestinian politicians bicker about who controls Gaza, but we are the ones who suffer, paying the ultimate price for this war. Where are the leaders, Palestinian, Arab, or even European, when it comes to this hell we are living through?" al-Ramli asked.

The situation worsens as the ground becomes a quagmire of thick mud, trapping the displaced and hindering any possible escape or access to aid.

The relentless rain and gusts of wind have left the camps in chaos, and there is no haven for the most vulnerable, such as children and the elderly.

The lack of fuel has further compounded their misery, depriving families of any means to keep their shelters warm. Living in damp and frigid conditions, people become more vulnerable to diseases.

In northern Gaza, the situation is equally grim. Tens of thousands of displaced families, who had hoped for a semblance of stability after the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in January, have found nothing but ruins.

The streets, homes, and infrastructure are devastated, and survival has become a daily struggle.

"We came back here to set up our tents next to the ruins of our homes, but we were abandoned, left to fend for ourselves without even the most basic necessities," Salah Abu Ali, a resident of Beit Lahia town, told Xinhua.

"The wind tore apart our tent, and now we're hiding under the rubble of our destroyed house, hoping the rain will stop. How will we survive the coming days? We don't have tents, clean water, food, or assistance. We're just waiting for the inevitable," he said.

In the face of this unbearable suffering, displaced families have sent urgent distress calls to humanitarian organizations, pleading for more sturdy tents, heating devices, and any aid that could offer even a modicum of relief.

Human rights organizations have echoed these calls, warning of the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.

They highlight the severe risks to children and the elderly, who are exposed to the cold and diseases amid a lack of health services.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 1.5 million people in Gaza have been displaced by the conflict, with their basic needs not yet met.

The camps where they seek refuge offer nothing close to dignified living conditions. Clean water, heating equipment, and essential medicines are scarce.

"The situation is catastrophic by all measures. The displaced face unimaginable hardships, and the storm has worsened things. We need immediate intervention to secure shelter and necessities before more lives are lost," Salama Maarouf, an official in Gaza's government media office, told Xinhua.

"Gaza is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. People's suffering is palpable, to which the world must not turn a blind eye," he added. Enditem

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