CMWU, in cooperation with UNICEF, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Jabalia Al-Nazla Municipality, carried out emergency field interventions to address wastewater issues and mitigate the resulting health hazards in the Al-Karama area, north of Gaza City. The intervention was part of the urgent response efforts to improve environmental and public health conditions in the area, following a comprehensive field assessment of the wastewater and stormwater networks.
The works targeted the area extending from Al-Karama Intersection westward to Al-Rashid Street, including residential neighborhoods and shelter camps. The assessment identified faults and damage in the wastewater and stormwater networks, which had led to wastewater overflow and worsening sanitary conditions, directly affecting residents and displaced people and posing a serious threat to public health and the environment.
The emergency intervention continued for 14 working days and included inspecting the wastewater and stormwater networks, addressing partial damage, and maintaining and cleaning 43 manholes. The teams also carried out maintenance and repair works on a total of 75 linear meters of wastewater and stormwater networks at several locations. These interventions helped restore network efficiency, reduce wastewater overflows, and alleviate the severe sanitary conditions affecting residents and shelter centers in the area.
UNICEF provided the main support for implementing the intervention through the provision of heavy machinery and labor, while ICRC supported the cleaning and maintenance of manholes, helping accelerate the response and improve the efficiency of field operations.
This intervention comes amid the exceptional humanitarian and operational conditions in the Gaza Strip, coupled with severe shortages of materials, spare parts, and equipment required for the operation and maintenance of wastewater facilities. These challenges place significant constraints on CMWU’s efforts and underscore the importance of continued support from partners to ensure the sustainability of essential services, protect public health, preserve the environment, and alleviate the suffering of residents.
