Gaza City flooded with sewage: ‘Situation is now out of control’
Under the weight of the siege and starvation imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip, Palestinians now face a severe environmental crisis with some streets submerged in sewage water.
The situation has worsened because of the shutdown of pumping stations caused by Israel’s blockade of fuel supplies and cutting off of electricity. Fears of the outbreak of disease are growing.
“Israel’s targeting of sewage stations, rainwater collection ponds, and main transport lines, alongside the fuel shortage required to operate generators, has led to a real disaster in the city,” said Gaza City municipality spokesperson Hosni Mahna.
“The situation is now out of control, and sewage is flooding the streets of a city already suffering from the effects of war.”
This crisis “threatens the spread of diseases in unprecedented ways, especially in densely populated neighbourhoods, along with the spread of foul odours, insects, and rodents”, Mahna warned.
‘The war of water’
Families displaced from the south to the north of Gaza continue battling for survival.
Suha Faraj, a mother of four, described how the lack of clean water has upended her family’s life. “Instead of focusing on education, my children are out queuing for water. This has become our reality since the war began,” she told Al Jazeera.
“We struggle to find clean water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene. Even when water is available, it is not safe to drink.”
Israel’s ongoing blockade of aid has left many like Faraj with no choice but to drink untreated water, leading to severe health consequences.
“Kidney diseases, kidney stones and other illnesses have emerged due to the water crisis,” Faraj explained. “We try to boil the water, but gas is scarce. Often, we have no choice but to drink it as it is.”
The humanitarian crisis is compounded by food shortages, which have worsened with the onset of Ramadan.
“This Ramadan is the hardest we’ve ever faced,” Faraj said. “With border closures, food supplies have dwindled. There is no fresh food, and we rely on canned goods. Even cooking has become a challenge due to the lack of gas and water.”
“This is no way to live,” she added. “It has become the war of water.”
Essay Pro