Gaza Faces Unprecedented Environmental and Health Catastrophe Amid War
Sewage floods Gaza’s streets, endangering thousands amid war and infrastructure collapse.
Watan-The Gaza Strip is facing an unprecedented environmental and health catastrophe, as its streets have turned into sewage swamps due to the widespread destruction of sanitation networks caused by the Israeli assault.
As the war continues, the suffering of the besieged population has worsened, with sewage water flooding homes and tents, threatening the lives of thousands, especially children and the elderly, amid escalating health risks.
Recent storms have made matters even worse, as heavy rains have raised the level of contaminated water in the streets to over a meter in some areas, making movement within the Strip nearly impossible. Stagnant water has also led to the spread of diseases and epidemics, such as respiratory infections, intestinal diseases, and skin conditions due to exposure to untreated sewage.
According to reports, the Israeli occupation army has destroyed more than 655,000 meters of sewage networks, leading to the shutdown of six main wastewater pumping stations, in addition to the destruction of 88% of the infrastructure, including homes, vital facilities, and essential services. With the ongoing crisis, the sewage system’s capacity has become nearly nonexistent in vast areas of the Strip.
Stagnant water in densely populated neighborhoods has created an ideal environment for mosquitoes and disease-carrying insects, increasing the likelihood of epidemics among residents already exhausted by the war and the suffocating blockade. Patients and the injured in hospitals are also struggling to receive treatment due to power outages and the collapse of sanitation systems within medical facilities, warning of a major humanitarian disaster.
Reports confirm that Gaza is on the brink of an “unprecedented health disaster,” as sewage water now threatens the lives of those remaining in the Strip, while efforts to rebuild infrastructure remain stalled due to ongoing bombardment and military escalation. With no solutions in sight, Palestinians find themselves facing a new life-threatening danger every day.
