UN agencies say they are working on improvements in pest control, drainage and sanitation.
“What is needed is a very large-scale campaign to be able to deal with the waste and rubble problems across Gaza,” says the UN children’s agency Unicef’s deputy representative for Palestine, Ettie Higgins, in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.
“Pipes have been destroyed, and treatment facilities have been destroyed so we are trying to scale up our support to manage the wastewater and sewage.”
Humanitarian workers want more heavy lifting equipment as well as spare parts for existing machines to clear away rubbish. They are also asking for access to Gaza’s major landfill sites which are in eastern parts of the strip now under full Israeli military control.
Ultimately, replacing damaged waste and sanitation facilities will need Israel to allow the entry of vital supplies from chemicals to pipes. It currently restricts these for security reasons, saying they could be used in the construction of new weapons by Hamas.
In a statement sent to the BBC, Cogat says that it “works in cooperation with the UN and the international community to enable a response in the fields of sanitation and essential infrastructure”.
“This includes coordinating the removal of waste piles, facilitating the entry of dedicated equipment for infrastructure repairs in accordance with requests and identified needs, and facilitating the entry of trucks and tankers for waste removal on behalf of the international aid organizations.
“In parallel, and in accordance with requests from the UN and international aid organizations, ongoing coordination is conducted to facilitate the removal of garbage, solid waste, and sewage in designated areas.”