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“The waste problem is widespread… and while it may not seem to be a priority in conflict zones… this ‘silent threat’ is critical to public health and the environment on which people depend.”
An investigation by Dutch campaign group PAX found that the accumulation of solid waste in Gaza not only has “fatal consequences” for local residents, but also threatens to make the besieged area “completely uninhabitable.”
“In unmonitored temporary landfills, seeping material, called leachate, slowly seeps into the soil,” Report “This chemical cocktail of soluble organic matter, inorganic components, heavy metals and foreign organic compounds can contaminate agricultural land and aquifers, while toxic substances can eventually seep up the food chain and back into human bodies,” warned the paper, titled “War and Waste in Gaza.”
‘A threat to health’ – UNRWA says 67% of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure destroyed
PAX said that based on analysis of open source information such as satellite images, social media posts and official reports, there are currently at least 225 garbage dumps of various sizes in the Gaza Strip.
“Waste is ubiquitous. While it may not seem like a big problem in conflict zones, high temperatures, destroyed health infrastructure, food shortages and lack of medical care combine to make this ‘silent threat’ critical to public health and the environment on which people depend,” the report said.
Tons of solid waste
It cited UNRWA Report As of June 10, 2024, “more than 330,000 tons of solid waste” had accumulated in the enclave over the past six months, enough to fill more than 150 football fields.
This is because regular garbage collection equipment has been paralyzed and the Israeli army has blocked access to designated landfills.
‘Catastrophic risk’: UNRWA warns of 330,000 tonnes of waste piling up in Gaza
The PAX investigation found that the breakdown of waste management systems has “significantly increased” public health risks from exposure to solid waste for tens or even hundreds of thousands of people displaced by conflict.
Satellite images and social media pictures show large amounts of garbage and the emergence of small garbage dumps near internally displaced persons camps and areas where civilians have sought shelter.
PAX warned that “already vulnerable populations” were now facing compounding health risks from solid waste.
“This includes the spread of infectious diseases, airborne diseases deterioration “Waste burning causes deteriorating air quality and the smell of rotting garbage, as well as exposure of waste pickers to hazardous medical and industrial waste,” the report states.
Temporary garbage dump
Although there were some deficiencies in the waste collection institutional ecosystem prior to the current conflict, damage sustained to hundreds of municipal waste collection vehicles, treatment facilities and other tools “has deepened the solid waste crisis.”
The Israeli army’s closure of three main landfills “forced local authorities and UN agencies to choose local temporary landfills.”
“These locations are often located in back alleys or open areas away from populated areas to minimize harm to civilians,” PAX said.
However, these sites are often not safe landfills without built-in protective layers, “and are likely to result in leachate contamination of soil and groundwater.”
A ceasefire is needed
PAX said an “immediate and permanent ceasefire” was urgently needed to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.
In the absence of a ceasefire, something must be done to curb the looming health and environmental disaster posed by the solid waste management crisis.
These actions include calling on Israel to allow access to designated secure landfill sites in Gaza.
“The current failure to properly dispose of solid waste increases environmental and health risks, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis,” PAX said.
It also includes providing “equipment, funding and training for humanitarian organizations engaged in clean-up, remediation and disposal efforts.”
The organization stressed that Gaza will have to deal with many challenge— such as rising sea levels, stress on natural resources (including water), “and the catastrophic damage caused by the current conflict — will pose an existential challenge to the Palestinians.”
Addressing the problem requires long-term investment and political stability to implement the necessary measures and policies, the report said.
Ongoing genocide
Israel is currently on trial in the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians. launch Since 7 October, a devastating war has been raging in Gaza.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 38,848 Palestinians have Killed89,459 injured. In addition, at least 11,000 people are still missing in the Gaza Strip, presumed dead under the rubble.
Israel said that 1,200 soldiers and civilians died in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7. Israeli media reported that many Israelis were killed by “friendly fire” that day.
Palestinian and international organizations said most of the dead and injured were women and children.
The Israeli war led to severe famine, mainly in northern Gaza, and killed many Palestinians, most of them children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the displacement of nearly 2 million people across the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely populated southern city of Rafah near the Egyptian border, the largest Palestinian exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
In the later stages of the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began to migrate from southern Gaza to central Gaza in search of safety.
(Palestine Chronicle)
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