Days of heavy rains have worsened the misery of displaced Palestinians in Gaza amid the ongoing conflict, flooding and damaging their makeshift tents.
More than a year since the outbreak of the Israel-Palestine conflict, Gazans are still far from having stable housing. They endured harsh living conditions in temporary tents.
According to the Palestinian Civil Defense, floodwater have risen by more than 30 centimeters inside tents in some severely affected areas, leaving displaced people exposed to the cold and damaging their temporary shelters.
Emergency services reported that several areas, including the southern, northern, and central Gaza Strip, have become uninhabitable due to flooding. Winter remains the most challenging season for over 1.9 million displaced people, as their tents offer little protection from the harsh weather conditions.
In the Deir el-Balah area, floodwater remained at the tent sites, and drainage was difficult.
Ismail Nadim, a displaced Palestinian man, described how their hardship was compounded by the wave of heavy rains.
"After we were displaced, we were exposed to a severe cold wave and heavy rains that drowned us and destroyed everything we had. We do not have a suitable tent to live in, and no one feels for us or looks after our condition. The severe cold made us spend three consecutive nights suffering in harsh conditions. When the storm swept over us and the rainwater entered our tent, my children had to go out due to the severe cold and rain. The nylon covering the tent was torn, and the water flooded everything. Now we are trying to dry the damaged mattresses, but we live in very difficult conditions, without the minimum requirements for a decent life," he said.
The floodwater inundated the fragile tents, soaking mattresses and clothes, leaving displaced families struggling to keep warm, especially for their children.
"The water surrounded us from all sides, and we couldn't manage our situation. We tried to drain the water away from us, but we couldn't. There is no mattress now to sleep on, I put it in the sun to dry. There are no clothes for my children, not even shoes to wear. We can barely provide them with clothes," said Palestinian woman Walaa Abu Khousa.
Heavy rain worsens misery of displaced Palestinians in Gaza
Switzerland, known for its pristine lakes and rich tradition of fishing, is facing a significant challenge of plunging fish stocks that could threaten the livelihood of many in the fisheries industry.
In recent years, local fishermen have seen their catches decline drastically, with about 90 percent of the fish consumed in the country now being imported. This shift reflects broader environmental changes impacting Swiss fisheries, and the difficulties local fishermen are enduring are becoming more evident each year.
At seven in the morning, as the first light of dawn begins to break, a handful of fishermen at a dock in Geneva prepare to head out to the lake to check the nets they set the previous day. As the long nets were hauled from the water, the catch of perch was relatively small, but the fishermen were still satisfied, especially since they managed to net two large pike, which would fetch a good price.
Francois Liani, a fisherman of 30 years, said 2024 has been the worst year for fishing with the lowest amount of catch.
"I have never seen anything like this in over 30 years. That's right, 2024 is the worst year in the past 30 years," he said.
Fifty years ago, there were more than 800 professional fishermen in Switzerland. Today, that number has dropped to fewer than 90.
"There are many reasons, but one of the most important reasons is global warming -- it is one of the biggest problems. We have also new mussels that come from the Black Sea on the Eastern Europe that came about five, seven years ago. They have a large impact on the food availability for the fishes," said Maxime Prevedello, communication officer for the French-speaking region of the Swiss Fishing Federation (SFV).
As a result, the growth rate of fish has slowed significantly. In 2012, 2013, and 2014, a professional fisherman was able to catch around 1,000 tons of fish annually. Today, that number has dropped to just around 100 tons -- a mere one-tenth of what it used to be, according to Prevedello.
In the summer of 2024, Switzerland once again endured high temperatures. Native fish species such as perch, grayling, and the Alpine char, which have adapted to cold water, have been particularly affected. According to Switzerland's environmental authorities, 58 percent of the country's native fish species are now classified as endangered.
Swiss fishermen face growing struggle as local fish stocks plunge
