Winter rains flood camp in Gaza as UN weighs mandate for stabilisation force

WINTER's first heavy rainfall sent water cascading through Gaza's sprawling Muwasi tent camp on Saturday, as the territory struggles to cope with flooding and devastated infrastructure after two years of war.

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Residents attempted to dig trenches to keep the water from flooding their tents, as rain dripped through tears in tarpaulins and makeshift shelters. The intermittent bursts soaked families' scant belongings. Strong winds can also topple tents and hamper attempts to gather scarce food and supplies. Two weeks ago, Bassil Naggar bought a new tent on the black market for the equivalent of about $712, because the summer sun had worn his old tent thin. Still, rainwater was leaking through.