UN report: Gaza water supply on verge of collapse

A United Nations Environment Program report released Tuesday revealed that the water supply in the Gaza Strip is on the very edge of collapse due to pollution that has been worsened by damage to infrastructure during Operation Cast Lead.

Damage to sewage facilities during the Gaza war apparently led to waste water penetrating the aquifer.

The report states that Sewage contamination of the water table far surpasses allowable levels set by the World Health Organization.
Moreover, the UN report notes that it will take more than 20 years and a billion dollars to rehabilitate the water system in Gaza.

Gaza's greenhouses were severely affected as one-fifth of greenhouses were destroyed in the war. In addition to that, the movement of tanks caused long-term damage to the ground which will hamper its cultivation process, the report stated based on a visit by representatives of the United Nations Environmental Program to Gaza in May.

High concentrations of toxic substances were found in a number of places, which had originated from within homes or industrial structures, although no significant source of pollution dangerous to humans was found.

However, the most severe problem according to the UN report is a decline in the quality of drinking water. The decline is not directly connected to Operation Cast Lead, but rather to prolonged over-pumping from Gaza's aquifer.

The report recommends seeking alternative water sources as soon as possible for Gaza, including desalinated sea water.

Gaza's population faces severe health problems due to the decline in drinking- water quality, such as the so-called "blue baby syndrome" in which babies' blood is damaged by exposure to nitrate compounds in waste. The babies become cyanotic, which causes their skin to take on a blue tinge, and to suffer from respiratory and intestinal problems.