The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched an ambitious project to clear a massive wartime garbage dump in Gaza City, an initiative crucial to both environmental and public health. This heap, a byproduct of the October 2023 conflict, has engulfed Fras Market, one of Gaza’s oldest commercial zones.
Alessandro Mrakic, who leads the UNDP Gaza Office, stated the dump’s removal is vital for the city’s recovery. The waste, exceeding 300,000 cubic metres in volume, has been accumulating since municipal workers were obstructed from utilizing the main landfill due to the conflict. Relocation efforts will transport the waste to a new site built according to environmental standards.
Funding for this project comes from the Humanitarian Fund and European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. Local residents expressed hope that this cleanup could signal progress following a prolonged conflict, even as health risks from the waste remain a significant concern for officials and residents alike.