Heavy downpours obstruct border wall development
Egypt is currently grappling with the aftermath of heavy rainfall, which has led to flooding in several cities, displacement of residents, and temporary suspensions of construction projects.
In the Sinai Peninsula, the arid region has seen unexpected flash flooding due to the heavy rain. The terrain, already prone to flooding, has been exacerbated by the presence of squatters in the desert, potentially increasing the vulnerability of illegal settlements.
The coastal city of Alexandria has been particularly affected, with its harbour closed and all fishing vessels docked. Roads in the city remain flooded, causing traffic jams in several parts. Over 60 Bedouin families were forced to evacuate the village of Sayha in South Sinai, and a pier construction project by the government, located some 2km from the border, was temporarily halted due to the bad weather conditions.
In Sharm el-Sheikh, land-based and mobile telephone services resumed after a two-day interruption caused by the adverse weather. Civil society organisations have launched a campaign to collect medicine for stricken hospitals, as a number of local Health Ministry warehouses were destroyed. Residents of Arish were forced to seek refuge inside mosques and public buildings.
A number of people were reported missing in the village of Abu Suweira, which was swept by flash-floods. However, the authorities in South Sinai have received no further reports of dead or missing persons. The city's public hospital was flooded, forcing patients to be transferred to nearby private hospitals.
The governor of Minya has declared a state of emergency in four villages of the province severely affected by torrential rain. A number of houses in the coastal city of Arish collapsed due to the heavy rains. Even universities like Suez Canal University have postponed mid-term exams due to the weather conditions.
Perhaps most notably, the construction of a steel barrier along Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip was temporarily suspended due to the torrential rains. The district's main highway in the cities of Rafah and Sheikh Zewaid was flooded, severely interrupting the supply of commodities.
Local Development Minister Abdel Salam el-Mahgoub's ministry's operations room is working 24 hours a day to respond to reports of human casualties or material damage. As Egypt navigates through this challenging period, the focus remains on ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens and restoring normalcy to the affected areas.
- Despite Gaza's geographical distance, the torrential rains in Egypt have also temporarily halted the construction of a steel barrier along their shared border.
- In the environmental science realm, the unexpected heavy rainfall in Egypt could potentially influence the climate-change patterns due to the disruption of weather patterns.
- As scientific research may reveal, the flooding in Egypt, particularly in the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza strip, could have significant impacts on the local ecosystem and biodiversity, especially in coastal areas and desert zones.
