Environmental crisis in Gaza escalates amid ongoing conflict

After the Israeli forces renewed military actions in the Gaza Strip on December 1, the region has been grappling with an escalating environmental crisis. The conflict has left a substantial amount of garbage unburied, particularly affecting cities like Gaza and Khan Younis. 

As a result of the hostilities, severe air pollution is now prevalent, exposing the local population to potential health risks.

According to a CMG reporter, the blockade imposed by the Israeli military on the primary landfill in Khan Younis has led to makeshift garbage sites appearing throughout the cities. These temporary dumping grounds are causing untreated sewage to flow into the sea, further exacerbating environmental degradation.

Gaza, known for its high population density, is witnessing an alarming increase in waste accumulation, with unprocessed garbage and untreated wastewater severely compromising the region's ecological balance. Before this round of conflict, the area needed to transport about 16,000 tons of garbage to landfills in different locations every day. Now the garbage has been accumulated.

Local residents, faced with a critical shortage of fuel, have to cut trees from local parks for cooking and heating. They indicated, though being aware of the environmental impacts, the severity of the fuel crisis left them with limited alternatives. The thick smoke, emanating from the burning of locally cut trees, is now a common sight above households.

The environmental fallout is not limited to air pollution. It extends to the depletion of green spaces and the contamination of groundwater. The situation is posing health risks, with residents around garbage dumps experiencing torment due to foul odors and the potential spread of diseases by mosquitoes.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO)'s previous report, there has been a rapid surge in cases of diarrhea and respiratory diseases among children in the Gaza Strip due to drinking polluted water and inhaling foul odors. If the local health system is not repaired, more people may die from diseases than from bombing.