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Solid Waste Volumes Increase During Ramadan
Gaza Municipality: Lack of Equipment Worsens the City’s Solid Waste Crisis
Municipal Media

Gaza Municipality has confirmed that the shortage of necessary equipment for collecting and transporting solid waste in the city is causing increased accumulation in streets and informal dumps, exacerbating the health and environmental crisis facing the city.

The municipality explained that the solid waste sector faces multiple challenges that have led to the accumulation of waste within neighborhoods. It noted that transporting waste to the Abu Jarad Landfill in the southern part of the city has further increased volumes due to the need for additional equipment to complete the transport operations.

It added that the challenges in solid waste collection also include the deterioration and aging of available equipment, the need for maintenance, and the inability to operate continuously particularly regarding container-emptying machinery resulting in overflowing containers.

The municipality further highlighted that the month of Ramadan sees a rise in solid waste volumes due to increased household consumption, leading to higher amounts of rapidly decomposing organic waste, which elevates health and environmental risks. This underscores the urgent need to expand nighttime waste collection operations, despite the municipality’s limited resources.

Gaza Municipality emphasized its urgent need for dedicated projects to collect and transport solid waste in order to mitigate the problem of accumulation in streets and neighborhoods.

It also clarified that waste accumulation has caused several problems, most notably: the spread of harmful insects and rodents, increased citizen complaints regarding garbage buildup, added burdens on municipal services, and a noticeable decline in overall city cleanliness.

The municipality appeals to international and humanitarian organizations to expedite urgent intervention by providing the necessary equipment for solid waste collection, as well as operational projects and fuel, enabling the municipality to reduce the ongoing health and environmental crisis.