Reuters reports dire conditions in Gaza Strip - Unsanitary living environments, widespread rubbish and untreated sewage
Photo landfill (Getty Images)
After months of fighting in Gaza, the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating. Tons of garbage are piling up in the streets amid the ruins and tent camps, according to Reuters.
Across the Gaza Strip, mountains of waste lie scattered, covered in flies and dust. Since the start of the war, municipal services have ceased operations, and partial restoration efforts have failed to change the situation. Street cleaning has become impossible due to the destruction caused by Israel’s military campaign.
"I don't smell any fresh air. I smell a foul odour in my tent. I can't sleep. My children wake up in the morning coughing," said Mahmoud Abu Reida, gesturing at the dumpster by the tent he shares with his wife and four children in Khan Younis.
The rotting piles of garbage, sewage, and smoke from burning plastic have created a hazardous environment. "We're talking about 2 million tons of waste - untreated - all across Gaza," Mrakic said, adding that the risks to the environment, to the aquifer that much of Gaza's water comes from, and to the population's health were "immense".
He added that even before the war, landfills were already overflowing, and the three major dumping sites located along the border with Israel are now closed to Palestinians.
Diseases and lack of medical care
Local doctors report outbreaks of intestinal and skin infections. Diarrhea, rashes, scabies, and lice are spreading in makeshift camps.
"Skin diseases have spread a lot because of overcrowding in tents and the tents are next to garbage dumps," said Sami Abu Taha, a dermatologist at the Kuwaiti field hospital in Khan Younis, lamenting the lack of medicine to treat such ailments.
One of Abu Reida’s sons has been repeatedly hospitalized with bacterial infections, which doctors believe were caused by contamination near their tent.
Destroyed infrastructure and UN plans
Bombing has damaged sewage systems, forcing people to use open-air latrines that flood during rain. In some areas, sewage flows directly between temporary shelters.
The United Nations is preparing a waste management plan that includes building recycling facilities capable of generating electricity from garbage. "Immediate action is needed, mainly through access of machinery, equipment that will allow us to properly perform the job on the ground," he added.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said at a White House press conference that he played a key role in Israel’s decision to strike Iran, calling the attack powerful and saying the day was "an important one for the state of Israel."
Israel has since declared the area near the Egyptian border a closed military zone and adjusted its rules of engagement for security forces.
