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Torrential rains that fell Friday and early Saturday have worsened the suffering of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza, flooding fragile tents amid dire humanitarian conditions caused by the Israeli occupation's ongoing aggression since October 7, 2023.UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric expressed concern that thousands of displaced families are now fully exposed to harsh weather, raising serious health and protection risks.The Israeli assault has destroyed approximately 92% of Gaza's residential buildings, forcing most residents into unsafe tents or back into damaged homes at risk of collapse during floods.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that shelter partners deployed rapid response teams and distributed aid in recent days, including 1,000 tents in Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis, 7,000 blankets to over 1,800 families, 15,000 tarpaulins to 3,700 families, and winter clothing for more than 500 families.OCHA noted that effective flood prevention requires equipment unavailable in Gaza, such as water drainage tools and debris removal systems.The office also warned that deteriorating living conditions heighten the risk of explosive remnants, especially for children.Some injuries occurred while collecting firewood, and families have been forced to pitch tents near suspected hazardous areas due to lack of safe alternatives.Since the ceasefire began on October 11, Israeli forces have committed dozens of violations, resulting in 261 Palestinian deaths and 632 injuries, with 533 bodies recovered from the rubble.According to official statistics, the Israeli aggression has killed at least 69,187 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 170,703 others. Many victims remain trapped under debris, unreachable by rescue teams.

Iran was laying plans Saturday to cut off water supplies periodically to Tehran's 10mn-strong population as it battles its worst drought in many decades.Rainfall in the capital has this year been at its lowest level in a century, local officials say, and half of Iran's provinces have not seen a drop fall in months.Now, to save water, the government is planning water cuts in Tehran -- and several local news outlets have already reported pipes running dry overnight in some areas."This will help avoid waste even though it may cause inconvenience," Iran's Energy Minister Abbas Ali Abadi said on state television.In a speech broadcast on Friday, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian had warned that Tehran might have to be evacuated if no rain falls before the end of the year.But he gave no details about how such a vast operation would be conducted.Tehran nestles on the southern slopes of the Alborz mountains and has hot dry summers usually relieved by autumn rains and winter snowfall.Tehran is by far the country's biggest city and its inhabitants use three million cubic metres of water per day, according to local media.The main Amir Kabir dam on the Karaj river, one of five reservoirs serving the capital, is running dry and holds only 14mn cubic litres, according to Behzad Parsa, director general of the Tehran water company, cited by the official news agency IRNA.During the same period last year, the reservoir held 86mn cubic metres, he added, but now it only has enough to maintain supplies to the Tehran region for less than two weeks.Saturday, state television broadcast images of several dams, serving the central city of Isfahan and Tabriz in the northwest, showing significantly lower water levels compared to previous years.Hassan Hosseini, the deputy Iran's second-largest city Mashhad, told IRNA agency on Thursday that night-time water cuts were being considered to address the water shortage.And over the summer on July and August, two public holidays were declared in Tehran to save water and energy, at a time when power outages were almost daily during the intense heatwave.