UN Warns Half A Million in Gaza at Risk from Sewage Flooding As Winter Looms
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The UN's Palestinian aid agency issued a stark warning on X, formerly Twitter, about the looming dangers of sewage floods for half a million residents in Gaza as the region braces for its rainy season.
The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) has raised alarm over the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, warning that winter rains could inundate areas with sewage, threatening the health and safety of 500,000 people amid deteriorating conditions.
Displaced Palestinians in Gaza are already grappling with the compounding effects of cold weather, heavy rain, and rising tides, which have destroyed makeshift shelters along the coastline, according to reports from Al Jazeera Arabic.
The crisis deepened further as Israeli strikes near the Indonesian Hospital resulted in two deaths and multiple injuries.
Louise Wateridge, a spokesperson for UNRWA, detailed the escalating risks to the Financial Times, highlighting that the lack of functioning sewage infrastructure could lead to catastrophic flooding.
“When it rains, sewage is going to pile up in lower [elevation] areas,” Wateridge explained. She described how displaced residents are resorting to rudimentary methods to manage waste, creating hazardous conditions for themselves and their neighbors.
Israeli bombardments have severely damaged Gaza's infrastructure, forcing residents to improvise in a landscape ill-equipped to withstand winter conditions.
Wateridge warned that the onset of winter, coupled with malnutrition, would exacerbate health crises among Gaza's already vulnerable population.
“Malnourished people will get sicker because it all works together against their health and wellbeing,” she added.
Aid delivery to Gaza remains a significant challenge. Wateridge revealed that 33 trucks carrying essential supplies like mattresses have been stuck at the Rafah crossing for six months due to Israeli restrictions.
“At the current rate of aid entering, it will take two years to distribute basic items like mattresses, blankets, and waterproof tents,” she said.
The dire forecast underscores the urgent need for international intervention to alleviate suffering in the besieged territory as winter approaches.