Temperatures in Gaza have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, worsening the situation for hundreds of thousands of displaced people who are surviving in makeshift camps without electricity or access to clean water, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned on Thursday.

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“With very limited water available, dehydration is increasing,” the agency stressed, pointing out that amid bombings, forced displacements, and the lack of electricity and fuel, “there is no relief from the extreme heat” in the Gaza Strip.

The harsh conditions are compounded by the fact that, according to the Palestinian Meteorological Department (PMD), temperatures are 8 to 9 degrees above the annual average, posing a particular risk to those with respiratory illnesses or dust allergies.

The heatwave is expected to continue through Thursday, with a slight decrease starting Friday, although temperatures “will remain 4 to 5 degrees higher than usual for this time of year,” the PMD predicted.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 88% of the Palestinian enclave is under forced displacement orders or has become a militarized area controlled by the Zionist army.

Rafah, in the south, had been designated by the Israeli regime as a destination for evacuations until a military operation on May 6, 2024, forced the displacement of 1.4 million people from there (out of a total population of 2.1 million) toward the southern coast of Mawasi and other areas in Gaza.

In the overcrowded Mawasi, around 425,000 people are living in tents without electricity or access to clean water, according to OCHA.

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