GAZA CITY, Nov 15 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- The accumulation of tonnes of waste across the Gaza Strip is posing the risk of outbreaks of skin, respiratory and intestinal diseases, a Palestinian health official warned on Friday, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
Local authorities estimate that nearly 700,000 tonnes of rubbish have built up at random dumpsites in Gaza amid dire humanitarian conditions following a two-year Israeli war on the enclave.
Describing the situation as “an environmental and public health catastrophe”, al-Shifa Hospital director Mohammed Abu Salmiya told Anadolu that the waste is attracting mosquitoes, rodents, flies and other insects that contribute to the spread of various illnesses among residents.
He said gases emitted from the waste, particularly methane, are directly affecting patients in hospitals.
Waste seeping into groundwater is also threatening most wells with contamination, potentially leading to poisoning cases, while drinking water in many areas has become unsafe.
Abu Salmiya added that the mounting garbage is creating “a highly dangerous psychological and humanitarian environment”, with residents forced to live amid piles of rubbish that stretch along roads and alleyways, heightening their sense of insecurity.
He called on international organisations to “intervene urgently to address the accumulated waste” in the besieged enclave.
The waste buildup is concentrated in northern and southern Gaza, as Israel continues to block access to central dumpsites located in border areas under its control during the first phase of the ceasefire that took effect on Oct 10.
On Tuesday, Hamas accused Israel of restricting the entry of aid and fuel into Gaza, in violation of the ceasefire agreement.
More than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 170,700 others injured in the Israeli war on Gaza since Oct 2023.
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU
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