Posted on 09/14/2009 8:29:17 AM PDT by NativeNewYorker
Nairobi (dpa) -- The Gaza Strip's underground water supply is in danger of collapse due to overuse and contamination, exacerbated by Israel's December offensive, the United Nations said Monday.
A report released at the Nairobi headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warned that it could take centuries for damage to Gaza's aquifer to be reversed unless action was taken now.
"Many of the impacts of the recent hostilities have exacerbated environmental degradation that has been years in the making," UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said.
Alternative water sources need to be found in order to rest the aquifer, which provides drinking water for Gaza's 1.5 million residents, UNEP said.
Salt water intrusion and pollution from sewage and agricultural runoff are serious concerns, putting infants in the Gaza Strip at risk of nitrate poisoning, said the report, based on an assessment carried out earlier this year.
Other environmental concerns for Gaza include 600,000 tonnes of rubble created by the Israeli offensive, UNEP said. The hostilities also saw refuse collection suspended, the build up of hazardous medical waste at landfill sites due to more injured and the release of pollutants such as fuel into the soil, UNEP said.
According to UNEP, more than 1.5 billion dollars could be needed over the next 20 years to restore the aquifer. Around 1,400 Palestinians died in the offensive, which the Israeli government said it launched to stop Hamas and other militant groups firing rockets into Israel.
LOL
AWWW Cry me a RIVER!
Ah, looks like we have a crisis...unless we fix it now..bwahahahhaa.This is becoming so predictible.
So blame Israel for their water table problems... go figure.
Gee, if only Arafat had used his $300 million for a little infrastructure work....
hh
Lets send them millions so they can fix it, or they can upgrade all of their weapons instead, just like they did the last time we were stupid enough to fall for it...
The Palestinians could live in peace and prosperity any time they chose. No one is offering Israel the choice.
Don’t you love how the UN works EXACTLY the same way as our own lefitsts? Don’t hold those truly responsible for it as guilty- in other words, the terrorists that Israel was acting against. No - blame those trying to restore order.
If you are an idiot and crap in your water supply then you die. These do not appear to be very smart people.
They’re getting a boatload of $ in international aid. Just a small percentage of that directed to infrastructure would improve their situation immensely. Plus, the Israelis would be happy to help if the philistines would stop trying to kill them.
Oh, wait, that’s a solution. We can’t have that.
Best thing that could happen. They should be pushed into the sea, that beachfront real estate taken over and some nice resorts created for everyone but the Palestinians.
I wonder if that means that Fauxbama will force more Gazan Paleosimian refugees down our throats?
Anything we can do to help destroy what is left.
Allah will fix it.
Throw a couple of dead goats into the well.
General George S. Patton
if the poor poor ancient palestinians were truly loved by their brethren, they could build de-salinization plants on the coast like Israel is doing, paid for by the oil funded arabians. but then someone would need to operate them instead of spending their time trying to build better bomb-vests and rockets.
“Throw a couple of dead goats into the well”.
Throw a couple of dead PIGS into the well.
There made it better.
I might grudgingly donate my personal water to quench their thirst..
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