Looming Environmental Disaster: Gaza Sewage Pumped Into Sea

Looming Environmental Disaster As Gaza Sewage Pumped Into Mediterranean

The Minister of Local Government in Gaza, Mohammed Al -Farra, has announced in a statement that the Gaza waste-water treatment plant is no longer functioning because of the lack of fuel, and from Thursday raw sewage will be pumped into the sea.

Pumping the untreated waste-water into the sea will pollute not only the marine environment of Gaza but also the Mediterranean Sea, said Al-Farra, warning of an environmental disaster.

The dire situation has arisen because of Israeli limitations on the amount of fuel permitted to enter the Gaza Strip combined with the destruction by Egyptian military forces of the tunnel lifelines between Egypt and besieged Gaza.

Since the ouster of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in a military coup in July, the Egyptian army has increased the destruction of the tunnels on the Egyptian side of the border with Gaza on the pretext of "fighting against terrorism," causing shortages of fuel and other essential goods.

Gaza is now completely dependent on the limited amount of fuel allowed to enter by Israel, which is grossly insufficient.

Al-Farra called on international and human rights organizations to avert the looming environmental disaster by increasing pressure on Israel to lift the siege on Gaza, and allow the entry of sufficient fuel to operate the power plant and essential infrastructure such as the water treatment plants.

ENDS

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