UN report: Gaza water supply on verge of collapse
'Sewage contamination of Strip's water table far exceeds allowable levels set by World Health Organization.'
By Zafrir Rinat Tags: UN Israel news Gaza Israel waterThe water supply in the Gaza Strip is on the very of collapse due to pollution that has been worsened by damage to infrastructure during Operation Cast Lead, according to a United Nations Environment Program report released Tuesday.
Sewage contamination of the water table far exceeds allowable levels set by the World Health Organization, the report states. The UN report notes that it will take more than 20 years and a billion dollars to rehabilitate the water system in Gaza.
The report, based on a visit by representatives of the United Nations Environmental Program to Gaza in May, says that nearly one-fifth of the greenhouses in Gaza were destroyed in the war in Gaza. The movement of tanks caused long-term damage to the ground that will impede cultivation.
Damage to sewage facilities apparently led to waste water penetrating the aquifer.
In a number of places, high concentrations of toxic substances were found, which had originated from within homes or industrial structures, although no significant source of pollution dangerous to humans was found.
However, the most severe problem according to the UN report is a decline in the quality of drinking water. The decline is not directly connected to Operation Cast Lead, but rather to prolonged over-pumping from Gaza's aquifer, which has led to its salination.
The report recommends seeking alternative water sources as soon as possible for Gaza, including desalinated sea water.
Gaza's population faces severe health problems due to the decline in drinking- water quality, such as the so-called "blue baby syndrome" in which babies' blood is damaged by exposure to nitrate compounds in waste. The babies become cyanotic, which causes their skin to take on a blue tinge, and to suffer from respiratory and intestinal problems.
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Gee, when you use water pipes, street signs, or any other metal pipes to create rockets, this is what happens. Building military weapons instead of feeding the population is a self-inflicted injury. The population voted for Hamas, now they can drink sea water and eat sand. Cry me a river, you reap what you sew.
No more whining about the "most moral" this or that. Collective Punishment is not any more acceptable just because it is done by Jews. Shameless!
Hamas has been firing tens of thousands of rockets. And the racists will blame us. TFB. Israel needs to stop supplying any water. Let Egypt do instead.
-----Gaza HAS water pumps. Notably, Israel bombed the main power plant as well as sewage treatment facilities in 2006. Meanwhile, the siege starves Gaza of fuel. Without enough power, you cannot treat sewage, or sometimes cannot even pump it into the sea. That is why Gaza is often swimming in its own sewage. Also, inadequate fuel for cooking makes the meager food available less digestible and compounds the growing anemia and malnutrition in children.------------- Hmmmm.... really points out then why it was dumb for hamastan to shell Israel instead of working on its own infrastructure
Gaza HAS water pumps. Notably, Israel bombed the main power plant as well as sewage treatment facilities in 2006. Meanwhile, the siege starves Gaza of fuel. Without enough power, you cannot treat sewage, or sometimes cannot even pump it into the sea. That is why Gaza is often swimming in its own sewage. Also, inadequate fuel for cooking makes the meager food available less digestible and compounds the growing anemia and malnutrition in children. Sleep well.
This is no great secret, water supplies have been short and limited for decades. State Depart. had studied the settlemetns on the West Bank and discovered that they were over aquifers and springs. Much of the encroaching was for water. In Gaza I didn't have the same knowledge. Listen, there hasn't been extra money for infrastructure improvements in Gaza or W.B.; all the money goes to food and medical supplies. Even the USA is way behind with infrastructure improvements. This result is part of the 40 year occupation, which barely allows a society of people to survive.
were it allowed in....
The risks among other things includes cholera. And if anybody read the article, the problem is not just overuse of the water table, it is also the bombing, deliberately, of the water and sewage treatment systems. Also, the EU offered Gaza a desal plant in 2005, but Israel said, "NO!" But hey, whatever floats your politician's boat.
Why did Hamas allow open sewers?
"The report recommends seeking alternative water sources as soon as possible for Gaza, including desalinated sea water". And who do you think is in control of that? Well, I guess that if the White Phosphorus didn't get them, then dieing of thirst is sure to work!
While Israel pursued building a modern viable state, the Palestinians wasted their resources fighting with each other and trying to reverse history. If Hamas had kept to it's original path of trying to help it's people and territory it would have worked on the water and sewage systems instead of stockpiling rockets and brainwashing it's youth to suicide individually and collectively. Time for a mid course correction for the fundamentalist terrorists and get back to the welfare of it's people and land, and stop threats against the Jewish homeland which has offered a great example of how the Palestinians should have behaved. it's never too late. Change the guns into water pumps and irrigation pipes and sewage treatment facillities. Mostly change from hate to building a peaceful state.