Gaza conflict has caused major environmental damage, UN says
The conflict in Gaza has created unprecedented soil, water and air pollution in the region, destroying sanitation systems and leaving tonnes of debris from explosive devices, according to a UN report on the environmental impact of the war.
A preliminary assessment from the UN Environment Programme says the war has swiftly reversed limited progress in improving the region’s water desalination and wastewater treatment facilities, restoring the Wadi Gaza coastal wetland, and investments in solar power installations.
Explosive weapons have generated some 39 million tonnes of debris. Each square metres of the Gaza Strip is now littered with more than 107kg (236 pounds) of debris, which is more than five times the debris generated during the battle for Mosul, Iraq, in 2017, the report said.
A new @UNEP assessment shows the environmental impacts of the war in Gaza are unprecedented. Water, soil and air pollution is rapidly growing, risking human health and food insecurity.
We urgently need a ceasefire to save lives & restore the environment.https://t.co/QE2Z7C2Hju pic.twitter.com/E9G0p0hKQK
— Inger Andersen (@andersen_inger) June 18, 2024
Palestinians still being targeted in ‘safe zone’
The attacks are in the central area of Gaza, where the Israeli forces a month ago called Palestinians from Rafah to evacuate because it’s designated as a safe zone. More than one million Palestinians evacuated to Nuseirat, Deir el-Balah and other parts of the central area, and they’re still being targeted.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 25 Palestinians were killed since the morning, and 17 were in the middle area. Dozens of others injured were transferred to al-Ahli Hospital.
The hospital is running on one generator. It’s lacking medical supplies and the doctors are overwhelmed with the number of injuries they are receiving every day. Behind me is a new extension the hospital made to receive patients because the hospital is crowded. There are no beds; people are lying on the floor.
The hospital needs at least 4,000 litres of fuel every single day, but the hospital is trying to ration as much fuel as possible because there has been no guarantee that they will receive fuel every single day.
UN says lawlessness in Gaza impedes aid via Kerem Shalom despite Israeli military pause
Israel’s military said on Sunday there would be a daily pause in its attacks from 0500 GMT until 1600 GMT until further notice along the road that leads from Israel via the Kerem Shalom crossing to the Salah al-Din Road and northwards in Gaza.
The UN welcomed the move, spokesperson Farhan Haq has said, but added that “this has yet to translate into more aid reaching people in need.”
He said the area between Kerem Shalom and the Salah al-Din road was very dangerous. “Fighting is not the only reason for being unable to pick up aid … The lack of any police or rule of law in the area makes it very dangerous to move goods there,” he said.
“But we are ready to engage with all parties to ensure that aid reaches people in Gaza, and we’ll continue to work with the authorities and with security forces, trying to see what can be done to have security conditions,” Haq said.
“When aid gets to a place, people are starving, and they’re worried that this may be the last food that they see,” he said. “They have to be assured that there’s going to be a regular flow of goods so that there’s not a panic when we get to the area.”
