UNRWA warns of the spread of more diseases in Gaza as a result of ‘huge piles’ of waste

Washington - Ma'an - A United Nations official said on Friday that piles of rotting garbage are accumulating near shelters for displaced people in the Gaza Strip, raising fears of the spread of more diseases. Louise Waterridge, an aid worker with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said piles of garbage estimated to weigh about 100,000 tons were piling up near the tents of displaced people in central Gaza. She told reporters via video link from Gaza, "Piles of garbage are piled up among the residents and are not being transported anywhere. The situation is getting worse. With the rising temperatures, it is really increasing the misery of the residents as well as the living conditions here." She said Israel has repeatedly refused requests to allow UNRWA to empty its main waste collection sites, meaning temporary sites have emerged. She added that even if Israel were to agree to these requests now, UNRWA's humanitarian missions such as garbage collection would be halted because of Israel's refusal to allow fuel imports. Waterridge, who returned to Gaza on Thursday after an absence of 4 weeks, added that the situation had deteriorated significantly. She described living conditions as "unbearable" with people sweating under plastic sheets and taking shelter in bombed buildings. WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said the garbage, coupled with rising temperatures and a lack of clean drinking water and sanitation, was increasing the risk of disease. He added: "This could lead to the emergence of a number of infectious diseases," noting that about 470,000 cases of diarrhea have been recorded since the beginning of the war. Source: Maan News Agency