Palestine: Sewage warning to swimmers, fishermen
The
World Health Organization (WHO) in the Gaza Strip, in conjunction with
the Gaza health ministry, began a public awareness campaign this week
to warn swimmers and fishermen of raw sewage discharges, and the
potential dangers.
Signs were placed in seven areas
along Gaza’s 42-km-long coastline where untreated sewage is being
dumped directly in the sea, according to WHO officer Mahmoud Daher in
Gaza.
“There are areas to be avoided, the possible threats are diarrhoeal
diseases or skin diseases,” said Daher. “The effect on fish is limited
to the [identified] areas, and shellfish - not very popular in the Gaza
diet - could also be affected.”
WHO will make a full assessment later on in the season, said Daher.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) agrees with WHO that
pollution of the costal waters is a public health matter, said FAO food
security adviser Erminio Sacco based in Jerusalem.
Gaza’s environment authority also made announcements on TV, radio and
in the press, warning Palestinians the seven areas (accounting for at
least 10 percent of Gaza’s total beach area) are too polluted for
swimming or fishing, according to Engineer Baha Al-Ghaza from the
authority.
“The health monitoring system in Gaza is not fully effective, so we are
not sure of the exact effects of the pollution so far this season.”
said Al-Ghaza. The health ministry was developing a system to monitor
the potential effects of the polluted seawater, said health ministry
spokesperson Hamam Nasman.
Areas affected
According to the environment authority and the Coastal Municipal Water
Utility (CMWU), four of the prohibited seven coastal areas are in Gaza
City. Areas affected in the north are Beach Refugee Camp, the
beachfront hotel area, the former presidential compound (only rubble
remains), and an area populated by beachfront cafes known as
`Shalihat’. Further south, affected areas include an area near former
‘Netzarim’ settlement, Wadi Gaza (Gaza Valley), and Rafah (near the
Gaza-Egypt border).
A main sewage pipe is discharging untreated sewage directly into the sea in all seven areas.
Despite the warnings, some families continue to swim and fish in the prohibited areas.
Eyad, aged 30, a former security officer under the Fatah authority, and
his wife Nasrin, brought their three children to swim in the ‘Shalihat’
area in Gaza City on 4 June.
“We heard warnings from the health ministry, but we think it is still
safe,” said Eyad, as his 5-year-old daughter Noa and 3-year-old son
Adel ran into the sea.
WASH report
About 80,000 cubic metres of raw and partially treated sewage is being
discharged directly into the sea each day at multiple points along the
coast, according to an April 2009 report published by the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) cluster, a coalition of UN agencies and international organizations responding to Gaza’s water and sanitation crisis.
Israeli’s 23-month blockade of the territory and some limited damage
due to the Israeli offensive (27 December 2008 - 18 January 2009) has
put additional pressure on the undeveloped sewage infrastructure in
Gaza, according to the WASH report.
Restricted entry of construction and industrial materials, and spare
parts, is preventing Palestinians from rebuilding infrastructure, said
the UN Office for the Coordination of humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Contact information | n/a |
---|---|
News type | Inbrief |
File link |
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?Reportid=84719 |
Source of information | Irin News - © IRIN 2009. |
Keyword(s) | sewage |
Subject(s) | ANALYSIS AND TESTS , CHARACTERISTICAL PARAMETERS OF WATERS AND SLUDGES , DRINKING WATER , DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION : COMMON PROCESSES OF PURIFICATION AND TREATMENT , HEALTH - HYGIENE - PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISM , PREVENTION AND NUISANCES POLLUTION , SANITATION -STRICT PURIFICATION PROCESSES , SLUDGES , WATER QUALITY |
Relation | http://www.semide.net/countries/fol749974/country608613 |
Geographical coverage | Palestine |
News date | 22/06/2009 |
Working language(s) | ENGLISH |