DaysofPal- Gaza City is facing an escalating environmental and health crisis as around 25 million tons of rubble, along with massive amounts of accumulated waste, continue to pile up across streets and neighborhoods amid the near-total collapse of basic infrastructure.
The destruction of sewage and stormwater networks has intensified the crisis, with more than 235 kilometers of drainage and wastewater systems damaged, creating conditions that have accelerated the spread of rodents, insects, and infectious diseases among displaced communities.
Health officials have warned of a sharp rise in infectious diseases, particularly chickenpox and acute hepatitis, in displacement camps across Gaza City. They said recorded cases are increasing daily as waste accumulation, poor sanitation, and the collapse of public services create an environment vulnerable to disease outbreaks.
The growing rodent infestation has also raised serious health concerns, with hundreds of cases of rodent bites reported in displacement camps. Officials warned that rodents pose an additional threat by spreading dangerous infections, especially as systematic pest-control operations remain limited due to shortages of required materials.
Effective rodent control campaigns require specialized supplies that are currently unavailable in local markets. Even when available, high prices prevent many residents from accessing them, adding further pressure on already vulnerable communities.
Gaza Municipality warned that controlling the spread of rodents has become increasingly difficult under the current conditions, saying existing efforts cannot match the scale of destruction and waste accumulation.
Municipality officials said available quantities of poisonous bait represent only a small fraction of actual needs, while efforts are focused on removing waste and transporting it to designated areas. Around 250,000 cubic meters of waste have been transferred to the Abu Jarad area out of an estimated 380,000 cubic meters, with the remaining quantities expected to be removed soon.
The municipality reported that infrastructure damage includes the destruction of 15 kilometers of stormwater drainage networks and 220 kilometers of sewage pipelines, leading to the near-collapse of wastewater services.
Officials said the combination of millions of tons of rubble, accumulated waste, and destroyed sewage networks has created ideal conditions for an unprecedented rodent outbreak. They stressed that pest-control efforts alone cannot resolve the crisis without large-scale debris removal and infrastructure rehabilitation.
The environmental disaster extends across the Gaza Strip, where an estimated 60 to 70 million tons of rubble have accumulated after more than 80 percent of buildings and infrastructure were destroyed or damaged. United Nations estimates indicate that destruction has affected 84 percent of the Strip, reaching 92 percent in Gaza City, with reconstruction costs estimated at around $70 billion.
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