GAZA, (PIC)
Displacement in the Gaza Strip no longer means only the loss of homes and the search for a safe shelter, but rather it has turned, for thousands of families, into a daily confrontation with harsh environmental and health conditions, in light of the spread of sewage and the accumulation of waste near tents and shelter centers.
In many areas of Gaza City, the tents of the displaced are scattered amidst a damaged environment that lacks basic services, surrounded by pools of wastewater, piles of waste, and rubble, raising growing fears of disease outbreaks among the population, especially children and the elderly.
Suffering beyond displacement
The displaced person Khaled al-Salmi, who was forced to displace more than once since the beginning of the war, says that his family believed it had found a safer place after leaving its home, but it soon collided with a different situation.
He adds that the tent he resides in is located near a gathering of stagnant water, which caused a significant spread of insects and mosquitoes, in addition to the foul odors that accompany the residents around the clock.
He points out that four of his children suffered from repeated health problems, including allergies and skin infections, while fears increase over the deterioration of their health conditions with the continuation of the current circumstances.
Children pay the heaviest price
In a neighboring tent, the displaced woman Umm Muhammad al-Haddad confirms that children are the most affected by the environmental conditions surrounding the displacement camps.
She explains that the narrow spaces and the absence of safe places to play push children to stay near sources of pollution, whether it is sewage water or piles of waste accumulated for months.
She says that families try to clean the vicinity of their tents through simple means, but the scale of the problem exceeds their capabilities, especially with the continuous flow of wastewater and the irregularity of waste collection operations.
She adds that many mothers complain about the appearance of various disease symptoms on their children, including a persistent cough, skin rashes, and respiratory system problems.
Near-total collapse of infrastructure
This suffering reflects a broader reality experienced by the Gaza Strip, where data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and the Environment Quality Authority indicate that more than 90 percent of the water and sewage infrastructure has suffered severe damage during the war.
Large parts of the sewage networks, which extend for about 1,545 kilometers, were also damaged, in addition to the destruction or disruption of 47 pumping stations, which led to a decline in the ability of the competent authorities to manage wastewater and prevent its leakage into residential areas.
With the continuous electricity outage and the shortage of fuel, the crisis worsened even further, as pumping and treatment stations became unable to operate with the required efficiency, causing wastewater to flow into the streets and the vicinity of displacement places.
Suffocating waste crisis
Environmental challenges are not limited to sewage only, as municipalities face a worsening crisis in waste management as a result of the extensive damage caused to their vehicles and equipment.
Local estimates indicate the accumulation of about 710,000 tons of domestic waste in various areas of the Gaza Strip, at a time when municipalities are unable to collect or treat it on a regular basis due to the lack of equipment and fuel.
The displaced person Samer Abu Zaid says that waste has become part of the daily scene inside the camps, adding that some residents resort to burning parts of it to mitigate its accumulation, despite the additional health damage this causes.
Rubble exacerbates pollution
Alongside domestic waste, the Strip faces another environmental challenge represented by the huge amounts of rubble resulting from the destruction of buildings and facilities.
Available data indicate the presence of more than 60 million tons of rubble throughout the Gaza Strip, resulting from the destruction of more than 330,000 housing units and facilities, which led to an increase in pollution levels and the spread of dust and debris in wide areas.
Specialists believe that the continued presence of these large quantities of rubble poses a long-term environmental and health risk, especially in areas crowded with residents and displaced people.
Repercussions on the environment and food security
The effects of the war extended to the agricultural sector, where UN reports showed that about 86 percent of the agricultural land in the Gaza Strip suffered destruction or damage, while the percentage rose in the north of the Strip to about 94 percent.
Experts warn that the decline in productive agricultural areas threatens the food security of millions of residents, and increases their dependence on humanitarian aid in light of the continuation of the current situation.
Environmental estimates also indicate that military operations and destruction left millions of tons of carbon emissions, adding new burdens on the environment in the Strip.
Warnings of a wave of diseases
Specialists in health affairs warn that the continued spread of wastewater and the accumulation of waste near population centers could lead to outbreaks of infectious diseases and epidemics, especially in light of the great overcrowding inside the displacement camps.
The displaced people and local institutions demand an urgent intervention to support municipalities with equipment and fuel, and to improve sewage and waste collection services, in addition to providing clean water sources and safe health facilities.
Between tents besieged by waste and sewage, thousands of displaced people in Gaza live a highly difficult humanitarian condition, where the battle for survival is no longer limited to surviving the war, but has also come to include facing environmental and health dangers that worsen day after day.