Safa Afaneh and other members of her family were living in a tent made of fabric and nylon on the shores of Deir al-Balah when it was flooded by seawater and sewage in late November. “Despite the sand barriers placed around the tent to protect against rising sea waves, nothing stopped the water from entering while we were sleeping at night. The water swept away two of my children, as well as the blankets and bedding,” Afaneh said on 3 December about the effects of the flooding. “The neighbors