Environmental impact of Gaza war ‘unprecedented’ – United Nations
Maghazi Refugee Camp after an Israeli attack, 3 November 2023
The Palestine Chronicle reports on 19 June 2024
The environmental impacts of Israel’s war on Gaza are unprecedented, with an estimated 39 million tonnes of debris having been generated by the conflict, according to a preliminary assessment published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
“Not only are the people of Gaza dealing with untold suffering from the ongoing war, the significant and growing environmental damage in Gaza risks locking its people into a painful, long recovery,” Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, said in a statement on Tuesday.
“While many questions remain regarding the exact type and quantity of contaminants affecting the environment in Gaza, people are already living with the consequences of conflict-related damage to environmental management systems and pollution today,” Anderson stated.
He said “Water and sanitation have collapsed. Critical infrastructure continues to be decimated. Coastal areas, soil and ecosystems have been severely impacted. All of this is deeply harming people’s health, food security and Gaza’s resilience.”
Recurring Conflicts
For decades, Gaza’s environment has been facing degradation and pressure on its ecosystems, the consequence of recurring conflicts, rapid urbanization, high population density, political conditions, and the region’s vulnerability to climate change, the statement said.
The preliminary assessment found that the war “undoes recent, albeit limited progress on Gaza’s environmental management systems.” This included the development of water desalination and wastewater treatment facilities, a rapid growth in solar power, and investments in the restoration of the Wadi Gaza coastal wetland.