Gaza garbage crisis: Two million trapped in sea of waste and rubble

More than two million people in the Gaza Strip are struggling to protect their health as they live near piles of trash mixed with dirt and debris across the enclave, with limited resources to clear what were once vibrant, densely populated areas filled with bustling markets.

Since a fragile ceasefire began last October, conflict in the region has calmed, but much of the territory remains in ruins with no clear timeline for reconstruction.

Local municipalities and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have been leading efforts to clear waste and debris, but resources are limited.

“The Gaza Strip, which used to have no piece of trash on the ground, now people sleep next to microbes, germs, diseases, and bacteria. Today, everyone is suffering,” said Abdelsattar al-Batsh, a displaced man from Gaza City, who fears the situation will be worse as the weather gets warmer.

UNDP administrator Alexander De Croo said UNDP teams on the ground need access to clear piles of garbage across the Gaza Strip.

De Croo described it as a crisis “with a gigantic cost on human lives, which is human-provoked.”

Footage captured by The Associated Press showed piles of garbage accumulating beside destroyed buildings in Nuseirat, Gaza City and near Netzarim Corridor.

In one area, two boys search through the trash for anything they can use, while children stand atop mounds of dirt, rubble and scattered waste.

Mohamed al-Bitar, a Gaza City resident, said the Gaza Strip had popular streets and market areas that are now destroyed and turned into large waste dump sites.