The United Nations Calls The Hamas-Israeli Conflict In Gaza Causing Severe Environmental Damage

Palestinian families in the rubble of their homes in Gaza (Source: WFP/Ali Jadallah)

JAKARTA - A UN report on the environmental impact of the Hamas-Israeli war on Tuesday said the conflict in Gaza had created unprecedented ground, water and air pollution in the region, destroying the sanitation system and leaving tons of debris due to explosives.

The latest conflict that broke out on October 7, 2023, quickly reversed limited progress in improving water desalination and wastewater treatment facilities in the region, restoring the wetland of the Wadi Gaza coast and investing in solar power installations, according to an initial assessment of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP).

Explosive weapons have produced about 39 million tonnes of debris, the report said. Each square meter of the Gaza Strip is now filled with more than 107 kilograms (236 pounds) of debris. It was more than five times the debris generated during fighting in Mosul, Iraq, in 2017, the report said.

"All of this is very detrimental to public health, food security, and Gaza's resilience," said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.

Gaza's environment has suffered from repeated conflicts, rapid urban growth, and high population density, before the last conflict began on October 7.

The UN assessment adds to concerns about the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the cost of the environment due to war, with Ukraine also recording widespread ecological damage over the past two years.

"Understanding the impact of war on the environment is a big challenge in our time," said Eoghan Darbyshire, a senior researcher at Britain-based Conflict and Environment Observatory.

"The impact will not only be felt locally where fighting occurs, but can be moved or even felt on a global scale through greenhouse gas emissions," he said.

The UN assessment comes from a December 2023 request from the Palestinian Environmental Quality Authority for UNEP to record environmental damage. UNEP is given the mandate to assist countries in pollution mitigation and control in areas affected by armed conflict or terrorism.

Due to security concerns and access restrictions, the United Nations uses remote sensing surveys and data from Palestinian technical entities, as well as damage assessments from the World Bank, in their reports. However, measurements in the field will be critical to understanding the level of pollution of land and water, said Darbyshire.

The water, sanitation and hygiene system is now barely functioning, according to the report, with five Gaza wastewater treatment plants closed.

Israel's long-term occupation has pose a major environmental challenge in the Palestinian territories regarding the quality and availability of water, according to a 2020 report by the United Nations Development Program.

More than 92 percent of the water in the Gaza Strip at that time was deemed unfit for human consumption.

"Looking at the scale of environmental damage, in my opinion, most of Gaza's territory will not be returned to a safe state in a generation, even with unlimited funds and will," said Darbyshire.