International
Sewage Crisis Fuels Disease Surge in Gaza
Gaza’s Mediterranean coastline has turned into a sewage dump, with satellite images revealing a large discharge of sewage spill off the coast of Deir al-Balah.
The situation is a result of the increase in displaced people, who are connecting their own pipes to the rainwater drainage system, according to Abu Yazan Ismael Sarsour, head of the Deir al-Balah emergency committee.
Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental expert, confirmed that wastewater is heading into the sea from nearby crowded camps.
The sewage discharge has been growing steadily since June and covers an area of over 2 sq km.
Intensive Israeli bombardment has led to the collapse of Gaza’s wastewater management infrastructure, and health experts are warning of the spread of waterborne diseases.
A 10-month-old baby was partially paralyzed after contracting polio, the first registered case in Gaza for 25 years.
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The UN and World Health Organization are calling for a two-week ceasefire to vaccinate 600,000 children in Gaza.
However, the delivery of vaccines is likely to face significant challenges due to the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system.
Oxfam reports that a quarter of Gaza’s population has already become ill due to waterborne diseases, describing the situation as a “catastrophic health crisis.”
The Sheikh Radwan Lagoon in northern Gaza, once a source of clean rainwater, is now overflowing with dirty water and contaminated with raw sewage.
The situation in Gaza is dire, with a potential cholera epidemic looming and aid agencies struggling to treat a huge caseload of dysentery, pneumonia, and severe skin diseases.
The UN estimates that the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been internally displaced since last autumn.
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