page_title: Effects of the Gaza War (2008–2009)
section_title: Sanitation
hierarchical_section_title: Effects of the Gaza War (2008–2009) / Gaza humanitarian crisis / Sanitation
caption_attribution_description: Sewage Treatment Plant Damage &amp; Outflow Detection, Sheikh Ejlin Product ID: 1337 - English Published: 10 Mar, 2009 (Updated: 10 Mar, 2009) This map illustrates damages to the sewage treatment plant located along Road Number 10, in Sheikh Ejlin area. A single impact crater (occurring sometime before 10 January 2009) to the eastern section of a holding pond (70m x150m) caused a massive outflow of sewage, moving an estimated total distance of 1.2km. The estimated area affected by the outflow is approximately 5.5 ha. An area affected by a suspected secondary flow further west has also been marked as well as damage buildings and impact craters in the region. This analysis has been made with imagery at a reduced spatial resolution of 2 meters. Affected buildings were classified either as destroyed or severely damaged by standard image interpretation methods. Ground survey data and photos provided by UNEP from mission 30 January 2009. Source(s): Survey Photos: UNEP 30 Jan09 Satellite Image (1): QuickBird-02 Resolution: 2m (Reduced Resolution) Imagery Dates: 16 January 2009 Copyright: Digital Globe (2008) Satellite Image (2): WorldView-1 Resolution: 2m (Reduced Resolution) Imagery Copyright: Digital Globe (2008) Imagery Date: 6 &amp; 10 January 2009 Damage Analysis: UNOSAT GIS Data: UNRWA, OCHA, UNOSAT Note: Conversion from PDF to SVG using Inkscape produced errors. Arrows were handed as text but converted to F chars.
context_page_description: There are multiple humanitarian, medical, economic, and industrial effects of the 2008–2009 Gaza War which started with the Israeli air strikes on 27 December 2008 and ended on 18 January with a cease-fire implemented unilaterally by Israel, and later the same day by Hamas and other Palestinian factions. The cease-fire followed twenty-two days of bombardment by land, sea and air which left over 1,300 Palestinians dead and over 5,000 injured, and the death of 13 Israelis. The United Nations Development Programme warned that there will be long-term consequences of the attacks on Gaza because the livelihoods and assets of tens of thousands of Gaza civilians have been affected.
context_section_description: Since 31 December, sewage and water systems in Beit Hanoun were hit at five locations causing considerable damage to the main sewage pipeline leading to sewage water pouring into the streets. The sanitation system cannot treat the sewage and is dumping 40 million litres of raw sewage into the sea daily. On 3 January, The UN reported emerging fears that continued shelling near the Beit Lahiya sewage lagoon, which contains 3 million cubic metres of waste water, will cause a massive sewage overflow. In addition to agricultural areas, up to 15,000 people are directly at risk. As of 5 January, Gaza sewage system was on the verge of collapse due to the lack of power and fuel; sewage is flooding into Beit Lahya, farmland and the sea. As of 13 January, UNRWA was still unable to deliver fuel to water treatment plants to alleviate pressure on the banks of the Beit Lahiya lagoon. On 16 January, eyewitnesses report that a stream of sewage is flowing up to one kilometer from the Gaza City water treatment plant. Since 31 December and As of 19 January, a day after twenty-three days of the Israeli attacks, sewage continues to flow in the streets of Beit Lahya and Beit Hanoun, 30 cubic meters of sewage are flowing into the streets of Beit Hanoun every hour. By 29 January, following repairs, sewage is no longer leaking in the streets of Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun.
  In the CMWU damage assessment report, waste water networks in Gaza City, Beit Hanoun, Jabalia, and Beit Lahia have sustained severe damage. The Ash Sheikh 'Ijleen sewage plant which treats the raw sewage of an area inhabited by 400,000 people has been out of order since it was struck by a shell in the second week of the conflict. The final report of the damage assessment carried out by the CMWU reveals that repairing the water and wastewater network and facilities will cost approximately 6 million US dollars, including 830,000 dollars to repair the wastewater network. According to the Palestinian Hydrology Group, solid waste is accumulating in most areas affected by the hostilities, with the exception of Gaza city where only two areas face problems with solid waste. The group also reported that on 13 February, 3,000 litres of fuel had leaked into wastewater infiltration basin of the Beit Lahia emergency wastewater treatment plant, posing a risk for chemical contamination of the aquifer by hydrocarbons. Major repairs can not take place without the entry of needed spare parts into Gaza, which remains problematic.
caption: A satellite-based damage assessment of sewage treatment plant damage and outflow detection in Sheikh Ejlin. A single impact crater to the eastern section of a holding pond caused a massive outflow of sewage, moving an estimated total distance of 1.2km. United Nations (UNOSAT). March 2009
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