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UNRWA: 330,000 tons of waste piled up in residential areas of Gaza

June 14, 2024 at 2:14 pm

A child is seen on a trash pile as Palestinians face the threat of famine due to accumulated garbage and leaked sewage in Deir al Balah, Gaza on 26 May, 2024 [Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Agency]

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has warned that more than 330,000 tonnes of waste has accumulated in or near residential areas across the besieged Gaza Strip, adding that this could lead to catastrophic environmental and health risks.

In a tweet on X yesterday, UNRWA said: “As of 9 June, over 330,000 tons of waste have accumulated in or near populated areas across #Gaza, posing catastrophic environmental & health risks.” The agency added that children search through garbage daily.

The agency emphasised that “Unimpeded humanitarian access + #CeasefireNow are crucial to restore humane living conditions.”

Since 7 October, Israel has been waging a war on Gaza that has resulted in approximately 122,000 Palestinian casualties, including fatalities and injuries, most of whom are children and women, tens of thousands more remain missing, presumed dead and trapped under the rubble.

Israel continues its war despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering it to “immediately halt” its offensive in gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah and to improve the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

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