Name: Gaza sewage system at risk of flooding as Israel restricts repair
Uploaded: 2025-12-11T01:31:11.810Z
Duration: 4 min 56 s
Description: Gaza braces for severe storm as makeshift shelters face collapse — Aid restrictions worsen an already dire humanitarian situation.

Gaza braces for severe storm as makeshift shelters face collapse — Aid restrictions worsen an already dire humanitarian situation.

Jerusalem

The director of the Palestinian NGOs Network in Gaza reports that the region's sewage system is at risk of flooding as Israel restricts the entry of equipment and materials needed for repairs. Despite a ceasefire, essential supplies such as heavy machinery, medical items, and shelter materials remain largely blocked, leaving the population vulnerable to worsening conditions, especially with an impending storm.

Currently, 2.2 million people are sheltering in the coastal lowlands of Gaza, where rainwater mixed with sewage and solid waste is already flooding tents and belongings. Aid groups warn that the lack of medical supplies and damaged infrastructure heightens the risk of disease outbreaks, and call for international intervention to ensure the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid.

Gaza sewage system at risk of flooding as Israel restricts repair

All right, let's get the very latest situation. Joining us from Gaza City is Amjad Shauer, who's the director of the Palestinian NGOs Network. Amjad, thank you for joining us here on Al Jazeera. So first up, tell us more about the threats that this storm poses to people's makeshift shelters and their belongings, which, of course, it's all often been built on bare sand, on open ground, isn't it? Thank you. It's a very complicated humanitarian situation, although that we have ceasefire. And suppose that Israel to let in the needed supplies and all items supposed to enter. What had been entered, there was increase in certain items, but not allowing the most important items to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians here. The heavy machines, the equipments, the medical items, and mainly so many of medicines and disposables, which is not allowed to enter. Shelter materials, only 40,000 tents out of 300,000 tents, which is needed. Caravans is not entering. And the same time, the educational supplies, it's considered as dual use. All needs in order to maintain and to rehabilitate the water networks, the damaged sewage system, also to rehabilitate part of the sewage lagoons, which is damaged and now overwhelmed by the sewage water. And we have concerns it will be flooded. Also that I have to mention that Israel is controlling now 57% of the Gaza Strip. 2.2 million are now sheltered and staying and about 43% of the Gaza Strip, the coastal area, which is the lowest level in topography. So water is flooding from east to west to the coast. So this rainwater mixed with sewage was also with solid waste, which is invading and attacking the tents and flooding the tents. Also the people's supplies. Sure, so bearing in mind this impending storm, which is bearing down on Gaza as we speak, how much better prepared would people be if Israel had honored its side of the agreement to bring in these supplies? If Israel will allow entry all these supplies, things will be for sure better. But now Israel is trying its best in order to make the lives of the Palestinians more complicated, more suffering for them. And not to enter these basic life-saving supplies would complicate the humanitarian situation. And I have concerns on the health conditions, on the pandemic, on the issue of spreading so many diseases on winter. And while we have suffering of shortage and severe deficit of medications, the health conditions will be complicated and we will witness more deteriorations on the health conditions of the Palestinians who are mainly suffering now from malnutrition and so many diseases that we have no diagnostic system and that after the destruction of our hospitals and infrastructure. Yeah, so not just a question of losing shelters, but also the problem of waterborne diseases down the line, adding to the already severe medical situation within Gaza given the lack of treatment capability at Gaza's hospitals. That's why we have to raise these concerns now if there'll be no intervention from all the actors in order to pressure Israel to respect its commitment according to the ceasefire agreement on the same time the humanitarian protocol, all of that. So many comments on this protocol. There's supposed to be no limit on numbers and the quantities regarding the entry of aid. It's not only 600 that the needs. We need for more than 1,100 trucks a day, but the problem is not only the quantities, also the items which is supposed to enter. If there is high risk on the Palestinians, not only in the tents, also who are staying now in parts of their destroyed homes, it could be leveled down over the heads of these families who didn't find any place to go, just these destroyed homes. All right, we'll keep a very close eye on how things develop. It's a very troubling situation. I'm Joe Shawa from the Palestinian NGOs Network. Thank you. Thank you.

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