RAFIF ESLEEM

Gaza- Israel’s months-long war on the Gaza Strip has damaged sanitation infrastructure, causing untreated wastewater and sewage to overflow into the streets and the sea and destroyed tens of thousands of buildings.  Sewage flowing through the damaged roads, the enormous quantities of debris generated by the war and dead bodies remaining scattered in the streets and under the rubble of the destroyed building pose risks to human health in Gaza.

The environmental devastation in the Gaza Strip has been worsening, most of the buildings have been destroyed by Israel’s attacks and most of the tents have collapsed due to the bad weather, said Wissam Al-Sadudi, a resident of Gaza City.

‘It poses risks to the health of women and children’

Wissam Al-Sadudi stressed that sewage flew through the damaged roads in the city. “The Israeli forces have destroyed the city. The women and children in Gaza suffer from trauma due to the war and they need urgent psychological support. There are no health centers in the camps. People also suffer from respiratory and skin diseases due to open sewers. This situation poses risks to the health of mothers and children,” she said, adding:

“Due to the lack of hygiene products, women are afraid that their children will get sick from sewage. Therefore, mothers mostly do not allow their children to go out in order to protect them. Actually, children have no space to play due to sewage and debris.”

‘Water infrastructure must be rebuilt’

Wissam Al-Sadudi hopes that humanitarian aid organizations will help the municipalities to rebuild water infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. “Water infrastructure must be rebuilt and heavy equipment must be sent to the Gaza Strip to remove the rubble. There is also sewage, debris and dead bodies remaining scattered in the streets and under the rubble of the destroyed buildings. There are also tons of debris containing unknown dangerous items, posing risks to women and children.

“Women in Gaza are tired of dealing with difficult living conditions and want to start a new chapter in their lives. They want to build a better future for themselves and their children and to have a normal life.”