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UN PhotoGAZA / WASTE ACCUMULATION
STORY: GAZA / WASTE ACCUMULATION
TRT: 08:23
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / ARBIC/ NATS
DATELINE: 08 JUNE 2025, Gaza city
1. Driving shot, mountains of waste in the middle of Gaza City
2. Various shots, the area known as "Firas Market," which has turned into the largest garbage dump in the Gaza Strip
3. Various shots, waste piling up next to the tents of displaced people in Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, Gaza City
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Jamil Abu Amsha, displaced person:
"Our problem now is the flies and mosquitoes, the awful smell, and the lack of cleanliness. All of this is causing very serious health and environmental problems. Our children are getting sick, and the diseases are spreading to us. We can't sit here—this is a terrible health hazard. Is there anything worse than sitting next to piles of garbage?"
5. Various shots, waste piling up next to the tents of displaced people in Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, Gaza City
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ibrahim Al-Afifi, displaced person from northern Gaza:
"We’ve been severely harmed, whether by the odors or the flies, which now bite more than mosquitoes. We can't sleep anymore."
7. Various shots, waste piling up next to the tents of displaced people in Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, Gaza City
8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abeer Abu Harbid, displaced from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza:
"Regarding the waste, it has affected us in every way—whether it’s the strange mosquitoes whose bites leave marks on our faces, or the unbearable stench. We can't even walk here because of how disgusting the scene is. I don’t know what to say—the situation is truly terrible."
9. Various shots, waste piling up next to the tents of displaced people in Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, Gaza City.
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sobhi Al-Kafarneh, displaced person:
"The garbage has affected people, whether through the foul odors or the lack of sleep. The children are getting sick, and there’s also a mosquito problem. Life here has become unbearable."
11. Various shots, bulldozers and trucks belonging to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) removing waste from the streets of Gaza City.
12. Various shots, sanitation workers affiliated with the UNDP cleaning and removing waste from between the tents of displaced people and the streets of Gaza City
13. Various shots, the Firas Market area, which has turned into a major garbage dump, where the waste has formed into mountains.
14. Various shots, UNDP delegation arriving at the main garbage dump in Gaza City, known as Firas Market.
15. Various shots, Alessandro Maracchi, Head of the UNDP Gaza Office, inspecting the garbage dump site along with a UN delegation.
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Alessandro Maracchi, Head of the UNDP Gaza Office:
"We are now in Firas Market, in the city center of Gaza City. Behind me is a huge mountain of waste collected since the beginning of the war. Initially, it was a very small garbage area, but now it is more than seven metres. As of today, we have 200,000 cubic metres of waste here. This is not acceptable— it is not acceptable for the city, for the people living here, families, kids and shops. It is becoming a health priority, especially with the upcoming summer. We are working on it, we are looking at solutions. We are ready with contractors to move out, we are just waiting for the green light to bring this to another temporary dump site close to Gaza City, in the absence of access the two main landfills of Gaza City. This is the key priority at this point. As UNDP, we are working with the WASH cluster and leading the work on solid waste management with a series of actors. This is really the example of how critical action on solid waste is important today in Gaza. We are also working in the south, along with UNICEF, UNRWA, and other key partners, to ensure that waste is collected from the streets and is properly disposed. And again, this is the call to proper sanitary landfill."
18. Various shots, garbage compound at the Firas Market site in Gaza City while UNDP machinery is operating inside.
The waste crisis in Gaza has significantly worsened, threatening the lives of displaced Palestinians as the main landfills located in the eastern part of the Strip are not accessible.
In light of these obstacles and the mounting waste crisis, international and local organizations have resorted to converting one of Gaza City's main markets—known as Firas Market—into a primary waste dump, where garbage collected from neighborhoods and displaced persons’ tents in Gaza is now being deposited.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is working on various projects in Gaza to alleviate the widespread waste crisis affecting the streets and displaced persons’ camps across the Strip.
Through the use of trucks and heavy equipment, UNDP is transporting waste and implementing an employment program for the jobless, with the goal of cleaning the streets, easing the burden on displaced communities, and preventing the spread of disease.
Displaced Palestinians, especially those residing in Gaza City, complain of the foul odors, swarms of mosquitoes and flies, which are contributing to the spread of disease—particularly among children.
Jamil Abu Amsha, a displaced person said, "Our problem now is with the flies and mosquitoes, the terrible smell, and the lack of cleanliness. All of this is causing serious health and environmental issues. Our children are getting sick, and the diseases are spreading to us. We can’t sit here—this is an unbearable health hazard. Is there anything worse than sitting next to piles of garbage?"
As for Abeer Abu Harbid, a displaced person from the town of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, she said, "The garbage has affected us in every way—there are strange mosquitoes whose bites leave marks on our faces, and the smell is absolutely unbearable. We can't walk around here because the sight is so disgusting. I don’t know what to say—the situation is extremely dire."
Head of the UNDP Gaza Office Alessandro Maracchi visited the temporary landfill in Gaza City—known as Firas Market.
Standing in front of a mountain of waste at Firas Market in the centre of Gaza City, Maracchi said, “Initially, it was a very small garbage area, but now it is more than seven metres. As of today, we have 200,000 cubic metres of waste here. This is not acceptable— it is not acceptable for the city, for the people living here, families, kids and shops. It is becoming a health priority, especially with the upcoming summer.”
“We are working on it, we are looking at solutions. We are ready with contractors to move out, we are just waiting for the green light to bring this to another temporary dump site close to Gaza City, in the absence of access the two main landfills of Gaza City. This is the key priority at this point,” he added.
Maracchi explained that UNDP is working with the WASH cluster and leading the work on solid waste management with a series of actors.
“This is really the example of how critical action on solid waste is important today in Gaza. We are also working in the south, along with UNICEF, UNRWA, and other key partners, to ensure that waste is collected from the streets and is properly disposed. And again, this is the call to proper sanitary landfill,” he added.
