Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: MIDEAST:  Gaza's Water Supply Near Collapse

Un milione e mezzo di persone sono tuttora rinchiuse in un recinto: la 
punizione collettiva contro la gente di Gaza continua, ormai senza altro 
scopo comprensibile se non la crudeltï¿œ fine a se stessa.
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MIDEAST:  Gaza's Water Supply Near Collapse
By Mel Frykberg
RAMALLAH, Sep 16 (IPS) - The International Committee of the Red Cross 
has warned that Gaza's access to safe supply of drinking water could 
cease at any time. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says outbreaks of 
disease could be triggered as a consequence.
The warnings follow a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report 
Monday that "Gaza's underground water system is in danger of collapse 
after recent conflict compounded by years of overuse and contamination."
"An outbreak of Hepatitis A and parasitic infections could occur at any 
time," Mahmoed Daher from WHO in Gaza told IPS. "Already the number of 
people, especially children, suffering from diarrhoea has risen 
dramatically."
"We have noticed an increase in people suffering from kidney diseases 
from water contaminated with toxins, as well as babies born with an 
unnatural blue tinge," Munther Shoblak from Gaza's Coastal 
Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) told IPS.
The UNEP report focuses on a rise in saltwater intrusion from the sea 
caused by over-extraction of ground water, and pollution from sewage and 
agricultural run-off, with toxic levels high enough to put infants at 
risk of nitrate poisoning.
Gaza's underground aquifer is the sole water source for its 1.5 million 
people. Only 5-10 percent of the water now is fit for human consumption.
The average per capita daily consumption of water for personal and 
domestic use in Gaza is 91 litres. WHO recommends 100-150 litres daily. 
Israelis consume 280 litres per day.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) 
reported last week that at least 10,000 Gazans remain without access to 
the water network. Furthermore, access to water is limited on average to 
six to eight hours from one to four days a week for the entire population.
"Approximately 150-160 million cubic metres (mcm) are extracted from 
Gaza's underground aquifer annually. Due to a regional drought over the 
last few years only about 65 mcm has flown back into the aquifer 
annually. This leaves a shortfall of 100 mcm," says Shoblak.
Sewage-contaminated seawater and agricultural overflow contaminated with 
toxins have been flowing into the aquifer's deficit. The CMWU is only 
able to partially treat some of the 80 million litres of sewage pumped 
out to sea on a daily basis due to a shortage of spare parts, fuel, and 
electricity cuts.
During Israel's bombardment of Gaza during the December-January war, the 
strip's already degraded infrastructure was heavily targeted.
CMWU estimates that about six million dollars worth damage was caused to 
major water and sanitation infrastructure during Operation Cast Lead, 
Israel's codename for its war.
Over 30 kilometres of water networks were damaged or destroyed by the 
Israeli military in addition to 11 wells operated by the water 
authorities in Gaza. More than 6,000 roof tanks and 840 household 
connections were damaged.
There is an urgent need for cement, pipes, pumps, transformers and 
electrical spare parts to implement numerous projects in the water and 
wastewater sector.
Some 1,250 tonnes of cement are currently needed for the repair of water 
storage tanks alone. But Israel's blockade prevents cement from being 
brought into Gaza.
Javier Cordoba, the ICRC water and habitation coordinator who is 
supervising Red Cross reconstruction efforts in Gaza says the situation 
is very fragile. "A lack of construction material and parts has led to a 
de-development of the water infrastructure, which could collapse at any 
minute," Cordoba told IPS.
"The whole system is inter-connected," Cordoba says. "Water wells use 
mechanical pumps to supply Gazan homes with water. The shortage of 
mechanical pumps and other spare parts has reduced the number of wells 
able to operate."
Electricity shortages force the wells to rely on back-up generators. 
Israel's blockade not only limits electricity supplies but the supply of 
industrial fuel too.
The ICRC has been working on ingenious methods to get around the 
blockade to bring temporary relief to Gazans.
"We have managed to build a new, albeit primitive, wastewater plant in 
Rafah in the south of Gaza. We used pieces of the wall which used to 
divide Gaza from the Sinai peninsula, before the wall was blown up last 
year, for the basic structure.
"We also succeeded in finding limited spare parts from Gaza to operate 
the plant," said Cordoba. "But this is just an interim solution, and the 
well will only last about five years. The more permanent and 
sophisticated wastewater management plant in northern Gaza still 
requires imported parts from Israel."
Cordoba added: "In order to relieve the pressure on the aquifer we have 
been digging a number of shallow wells. These again are only temporary 
and don't supply much water like the deeper ones, but they allow the 
municipalities to function again."
UNEP estimates that more than 1.5 billion dollars may be needed over 20 
years to restore the aquifer back to health, including the establishment 
of desalination plants to take pressure off the underground water supplies.
"The international community also has to fulfil its obligations in 
regard to economic pledges and promises it made to establish 
desalination and wastewater projects," Shoblak told IPS. "Political 
pressure needs to be applied to Israel to allow for reconstruction and 
repairs."
The UNEP report warns: "Unless the degradation trend is reversed now, 
damage could take centuries to reverse." (END/2009)


Mi domando dove stanno gli umanitari.
Quelli delle rivoluzioni colorate, HRW, la Bonino, quelli del o Tibet o 
morte, i difensori dell'islam in Cecenia e Xintiang, i difensori della 
liberta' del Kossovo, non ammazzate Caino, le organizzazioni democratiche 
pagate dalla CIA, quelle pagate da Soros, il British Council, la ASPEN, e 
tutti gli altri.
-- 
Dopo l'invasione del 1974, i nostri alleati Turki hanno:
Saccheggiato e distrutto circa 500 chiese cristiane a Cipro.
Importato una comunita' turka che si e' sostituita ai 200.000 greci 
sfollati.
Pulizia etnica all'interno della NATO 

 punizione collettiva
questa e' l'opinione di uno che e' cresciuto in un ambiente intriso di
antisemitismo e che non si capisce bene se e come abbia fatto a
staccarsene.

נחום ha scritto:

Oh, eccoti qui.
Signore e Signori, vi presento uno dei sostenitori della punizione 
collettiva che viene inflitta alla gente di Gaza.
Cerca di nascondersi parlando d'altro, facendosi scudo con l'accusa 
strumentale di antisemitismo, ma è lui: ammiratelo!
E' capace, agitando un dito ammonitore, di pretendere il rispetto dei 
diritti umani (i suoi e quelli dei suoi, che peraltro nessuno offende ma 
che potrebbe sembrare che qualcuno forse, interpretando l'aggettivo...) 
e contemporaneamente, con l'altra mano dietro la schiena, di tenere 
chiuso uno dei milioni di chiavistelli che tengono in cattività la gente 
di Gaza.
Non ha una capacità notevole?

 Oh, eccoti qui.
si', sono qui e ti chiedo. Quando e come ti sei reso conto di essere
crersciuto in un ambiente intriso di pregiudizi antisemiti?


Si e' un campione, ipocrita a livelli criminali.
