UNRWA: Piles of Garbage and Sewage Continue to Accumulate in Gaza

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that piles of garbage and sewage continue to accumulate in Gaza, rotting in the heat near displacement sites. "The extreme heat and lack of clean water continue to fuel the spread of infectious diseases, exacerbating the burden on an already overwhelmed and severely under-resourced health facilities," UNRWA said in a report. The UN agency added that with the shrinking of safe spaces for the displaced persons to set up their tents and reside in the Gaza Strip, tons of waste and sewage water are running between tents amidst the spread of intestinal and skin diseases. UNRWA spokesperson Louise Wateridge said the agency staff were prevented from accessing the landfills by the Israeli authorities, noting that many sewage treatment plants and waste disposal machines and trucks were destroyed. The rising temperatures create more problems; not only limited to unpleasant odors but also leading to the spread of diseases and pests such as mice, rats and mosquitoes, which further increase the spread of illnesses, he added. This comes amidst a shortage of the necessary medications for the treatment of prevalent skin and intestinal diseases. The internally displaced persons in Gaza also complained about the lack of cleaning supplies and personal hygiene products, exacerbated by the water shortage. Source: Qatar News Agency