Dump site in Gaza city
The challenge of managing solid waste, in terms of household,
medical, business (e.g. market places) and manufacturing waste, is a problem
not directly linked to the December 2008 offensive, but one which has been made
more difficult as a result of it. Damage to collection vehicles and lack of
access to the landfill site has resulted in an additional burden on existing
infrastructure, which has led to dumping of waste at unofficial sites, a
build-up of waste at existing dumpsites and ad hoc burning of waste. While the
quantity of waste generated and general waste practices remain similar to
before the offensive, the conflict has led to further stress upon the systems
that were already insufficiently resourced. This is resulting in and increased
public health risk to the population as a result of public health practices.
Further, the continued influx of people living in the IDP camps throughout the
Gaza Strip has led to further stress on services.
The management of waste falls within the remit of the Municipal
Councils, bodies which do not have the funding or equipment to fulfill this
responsibility adequately. This effort is supplemented by INGOs and LNGOs,
though these are few. SWM activities consist exclusively of waste collection
from households, communal areas, market places and hospitals, transferring this
waste to a central waste transfer station (in reality an unmanaged dumpsite in
the city centre) and from there onto larger vehicles for transfer to the
landfill.
Gary Morris – Iveson, produced a “mission report” after his
visit in 2009. The report covers the solid waste sector in Gaza Strip. To
download the report, click here