UN Urges Israel to Allow Hazardous Waste Removal in Gaza
The United Nations humanitarian agencies are urging Israeli authorities to allow Gaza sanitation workers to move rubbish from displacement sites and residential areas to designated final disposal sites (TPA) in Gaza to reduce the risk of fires that could threaten lives.
On Friday (1/5), a UN team deployed water tankers and heavy equipment to support workers handling a fire at Firas Market in central Gaza City, right next to a shelter for residents, which has been used as the main solid waste dumping site because the designated TPA has been inaccessible during the conflict, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in a press release on Thursday (7/5).
As a result, piles of rubbish at Firas Market now cover entire city blocks, with heights exceeding four storeys, OCHA said, emphasising that several sanitation partners reported two sanitation TPAs in Gaza are near the border fences surrounding the area, where access requires permission from Israeli authorities.
OCHA also stressed the need for permits to bring heavy equipment into Gaza to transport rubbish, debris, and explosive ammunition, as well as spare parts needed to operate the equipment.
The office stated that such authorisations are also crucial to address health risks associated with pests and rodents.
UN humanitarian partners reported that access to water remains a challenge for the population. With destroyed infrastructure, around 40 humanitarian partners deliver about 20,000 cubic metres of water by truck daily, an operation that heavily relies on fuel supplies and sustainable funding, the office explained.
“To meet drinking and cooking water needs, families must collect water directly from trucks at around 2,000 distribution points,” OCHA revealed.
“However, many people lack adequate containers to collect and store water, and service providers have not been able to fully ensure equitable distribution.”
In the West Bank, humanitarian workers warned that foot-and-mouth disease is now raising growing concerns for vulnerable Bedouin communities and herders, for whom livestock is their main source of income and food.
UN partners reported that movement restrictions and insecurity are complicating timely vaccination and veterinary treatment efforts.