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UN PhotoGAZA / UNDP WASTE REMOVAL CAMPAIGN
TITLE: GAZA / UNDP WASTE REMOVAL CAMPAIGN
TRT: 06:00
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: NATS
DATELINE: 19 MAY 2026, GAZA CITY
1. Various shots, UNDP trucks and bulldozers working on top of a mountain of waste in central Gaza City
2. Various shots, Omar Al-Mukhtar Street, next to large piles of accumulated waste at the site formerly known as the popular Firas Market
3. Various shots, UNDP trucks working to remove waste in the Firas Market area of Gaza City
4. Various shots, UNDP teams and local partners preparing insecticide-spraying machines ahead of spraying operations near the Firas Market area
5. Various shots, technical teams spraying insecticides and rat poison near the waste accumulation site in the Firas Market area
6. Various shots, children covering their faces with parts of their clothing because of the strong foul odors coming from the waste accumulation site in the Firas Market area
7. Various shots, technical teams spraying insecticides and rat poison near the waste accumulation site in the Firas Market area
8. Various shots, a member of the technical teams climbing through a mountain of waste while spraying insecticide
9. Various shots, Palestinian children watching the technical teams as they spray insecticides and rat poison
10. Various shots, technical teams spraying insecticides and rat poison near the waste accumulation site in the Firas Market area
11. Various shots, Palestinian children watching the technical teams as they spray insecticides and rat poison
12. Various shots, Omar Al-Mukhtar Street near the Firas Market area, where tons of waste have accumulated.
13. Various shots, UNDP workers in the Gaza Strip monitoring insecticide-spraying operations
14. Various shots, children attempting to climb piles of waste
15. Various shots, Alessandro Mrakic, UNDP Manager in the Gaza Strip, monitoring the rat and insect control campaign
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Alessandro Mrakic, UNDP, Head of Gaza Office:
“Behind me here is Firas Market. As UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), have started removing waste from this site to a new area, a temporary dumpsite in central Gaza. We are still talking about 350 cubic meters of waste behind me, still a mountain. But, while we are addressing, we have started from here pest-control activities. Over the past few months, this has become a critical problem for the lives of all people in Gaza City. Fighting with rats, with insects, and today, as you see behind me, we have started this campaign, very much from Firas Market, fighting against rats, rodents, and insects. Along with all our partners and the broader United Nations agencies, this week we will launch a broader campaign this week covering 1,700 sites. Altogether, along with the communities, we are working with the communities, and most importantly, to secure their safety and security. Mainly for the kids that you see around me here, and the access that they’ll have to these materials. While also protecting communities, we will escale up over the next few days this important campaign ahead of the summer season.”
17. Various shots, technical teams spraying insecticides and rat poison near the waste accumulation site in the Firas Market area
Teams from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Gaza Strip have launched a campaign to remove large quantities of waste and combat rodents and insects in the Firas Market area in central Gaza City, amid growing health concerns as summer approaches and tons of waste pile up near areas where displaced people are living.
UNDP trucks and bulldozers are transporting waste from the vicinity of Firas Market and Omar Al-Mukhtar Street to a temporary landfill in central Gaza, while technical teams are carrying out insecticide-spraying operations and distributing poison to combat rats near residential gatherings and tent areas.
Alessandro Mrakic, the head of the UNDP office in the Gaza Strip, said the programme had begun removing waste from the Firas Market site and transferring it to a new area being used as a temporary landfill. He added that the site still contains around 350 cubic meters of waste, noting that the accumulation has turned into a “mountain” in the middle of the city.
Mrakic explained that pest-control activities began at Firas Market after rats and insects had become a critical problem for Gaza City residents over recent months. He said the campaign would expand this week to cover 1,700 sites, in cooperation with local partners and United Nations agencies.
He added that the teams are working with local communities to ensure residents’ safety, particularly children, given the risks of exposure to the materials used to combat rodents and insects.
The area reflects the scale of the worsening health and environmental crisis in Gaza City, where waste is accumulating near streets, residential neighborhoods, and displacement camps. Around Firas Market, children try to cover their faces with their clothing to avoid the foul odors rising from the piles of waste, while others watch the technical teams at work despite the risks of approaching areas where spraying and poisons are being used.
The campaign comes as Gaza City faces severe environmental and health pressure due to the accumulation of waste in densely populated areas and displacement sites, amid weakened sanitation and sewage services and growing fears of disease outbreaks as temperatures rise.
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