An Environmental Crisis Haunts the Ruins of Gaza

"The bombardment of Gaza has left contaminated soil, blackened water and mounds of garbage spreading disease and pollution; a toxic legacy that will last generations, and extend beyond its borders.
By
Fadwa Hodali
Krishna Karra
Caroline Alexander
Denise Lu Green

For Bloomberg Green

"Before the war, Souk Feras in central Gaza City was packed with rows of small shops and stalls where people came to haggle for fresh local produce: olives, tomatoes and peaches. Today, the market has been replaced by a landfill.

Souk Feras now holds around 200,000 metric tons of trash, according to Amjad Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGO’s Network, PNGO, who is based in Gaza.

Shawa is working with municipalities and United Nations agencies to try to identify new landfill sites, but he says that’s not easy — around 45% of Gaza City has been forcibly evacuated, the rest is now effectively inaccessible. Fuel is scarce and roads are destroyed. The trash is “piling up uncontrollably,” he said.

“The landfills are located right among the population who live in tents, without hygiene supplies or water,” Shawa said. “There’s no medication or medical support. It’s painful now, but it’s going to leave long-term effects on public health.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-gaza-war-environmental-disaster/?srnd=homepage-americas