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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (May 4, 2016)
May 4, 2016 The Skanner Page 9 News Gaza Sewage Crisis, Festering in Conflict, Poisons Coastline By Fares Akram and Daniella Cheslow, Associated Press SHATI REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip— Each day, millions of gallons of raw sewage pour into the Gaza Strip’s Mediter- ranean beachfront, spewing out of a metal pipe and turning miles of once-scenic coastline into a stagnant dead zone. The sewage has damaged Gaza’s limited fresh water sup- plies, decimated fishing zones, and after years of neglect, is now floating northward and affecting Israel as well, where a nearby desalination plant was forced to shut down, apparent- ly due to pollution. “ spell even more trouble on both sides of the border. But while Israel has a clear interest in Gazans repairing their water infrastructure, that would likely require it to ease restrictions on the import of building materials — which it fears the territory’s Hamas rulers could divert for mili- tary purposes — and increase the amount of electricity it sells to Gaza. Poor sewage treatment in Gaza is the result of a rapidly expanding population, an in- frastructure damaged during wars with Israel and a chronic shortage of electricity to run the wastewater plants that still If we don’t get this operational, then I think it’s going to be very hard to raise money for other necessary projects in Gaza “It’s certain that Gaza Strip’s beaches are completely pollut- ed and unsuitable for swim- ming and entertainment, es- pecially in the summer,” said Ahmed Yaqoubi of the Pales- tinian Water Authority. Environmentalists and in- ternational aid organizations say that if the problem isn’t quickly addressed, it could function. In 2007, a sewage res- ervoir overflowed in a village in northern Gaza, drowning five people. An Israeli blockade that has restricted imports, coupled with Palestinian infighting and mismanagement by the Hamas-run government, has compounded the problems for the enclave’s 1.8 million resi- dents. Israel and Egypt have maintained a blockade of Gaza since Hamas, an Islamic mili- tant group committed to Isra- el’s destruction, seized power in 2007. Nasser Abu Saif said he was once happy to live in a beach- front apartment in Shati ref- ugee camp. Now, he avoids swimming in the fetid water near his house. “There are mosquitoes in the summer and even in the win- ter,” he said. “It makes our lives unpleasant.” Several aid groups have at- tempted to solve the sewage problem. Steen Jorgensen, country di- rector for the World Bank in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, said the fatal sewage flood spurred his office to build a $73 million sewage treatment plant nine years ago. He said the facility, meant to treat at least one-fifth of Gaza’s sew- age, would already be opera- tional if it had a reliable power supply. Disagreements between Hamas and the West Bank- based Palestinian Authority over fuel taxes have left Gaza’s only power plant functioning at reduced capacity. Electric- ity from neighboring Israel and Egypt help alleviate the We honor the many accomplishments of African Americans. It is our primary goal as a labor union to better the lives of all people working in the building trades through advocacy, civil demonstration, and the long-held belief that workers deserve a “family wage” - fair pay for an honest day’s work. A family wage, and the benefits that go with it, not only strengthens families, but also allows our communities to become stronger, more cohesive, and more responsive to their citizens’ needs. Our family wage agenda reflects our commitment to people working in the building trades, and to workers everywhere. In this small way, we are doing our part to help people achieve the American Dream. This dream that workers can hold dear regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, creed, or religious beliefs. Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters Representing more than 5.000 construction workers in Oregon State. Do you want to know more about becoming a Union carpenter? Go to www.NWCarpenters.org PORTLAND OFFICE 1636 East Burnside, Portland, OR 97214 503.261.1862 | 800.974.9052 HEADQUARTERS 25120 Pacific Hwy S, Suite 200, Kent, WA 98032 253.954.8800 | 800.573.8333 AP PHOTO/ADEL HANA Population growth, war-damaged infrastructure and electricity shortages blamed for water pollution Palestinian farmer Jamal El Jedi, 60, inspects the damages on his chicken farm following a sewage reservoir collapse causing a flood and damaging farms, in the Sheikh Ejleen neighborhood of Gaza City, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. A sewage reservoir in Gaza has collapsed, flooding about 25 acres of farmland and signaling yet another warning of the need to address the exacerbating water and sewage crisis in the Hamas-run territory. shortages, but usually there are only six to eight hours of power each day. “That’s just not reliable enough for a sewage plant,” said Jorgensen. He said foreign donors, including the United States, have offered to fund a power supply to the plant, but he said Israel has not agreed to run a dedicated electricity line. Other options have not been found. COGAT, the Israeli defense body responsible for Pales- tinian affairs, said Israel sup- plies 125 to 140 megawatts of power a day to the Gaza Strip. “The decision of distributing the electricity falls under the responsibility of the Pales- tinians,” COGAT wrote. In all, Gaza needs some 400 mega- watts for its daily needs. Jorgensen said the World Bank plans to start running the plant in the coming months using backup diesel genera- tors, which will increase the cost and leave sewage treat- ment vulnerable to fuel short- ages. He said the plant will also have solar panels, but they will only generate a fraction of the needed power. Fair Housing Matters Make your voice heard. Help us learn more about the barriers to housing choice and economic opportunity in our community. We want to hear about your experience finding safe, healthy, affordable places to live in our community. Please take a moment to complete our survey – Go to http://survey.optinpanel.org/survey/ selfserve/1fbb/opt16002?list=2#? for the survey, and for your chance to win a $100 gift certificate to the grocery store of your choice. The survey should take 20-25 minutes to complete. Your time and input to help us make our community a better place for everyone are greatly appreciated. Your answers are anonymous and will be used for research purposes only. The answers you provide will not be connected with your name in any way. You do not need to provide your name unless you wish to be entered into the drawing for the gift certificate. Submit your completed survey by Sunday, May 15th. If you have questions, email PHBinfo@portlandoregon.gov or call 503-823-5312. For more information, visit the Portland Housing Bureau website. To download a PDF of the survey, go to www.portlandoregon.gov/phb/article/571812. This survey is sponsored by Multnomah County, Home Forward, City of Portland, City of Gresham, in partnership with Metro and with support of Metro counties. The City of Portland complies with all non-discrimination, Civil Rights laws including Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II. To help ensure equal access to City programs, services and activities, the City of Portland will reasonably modify policies/procedures and provide auxiliary aids/services to persons with disabilities or persons needing language services. Call 503-823-5312, TTY 503- 823-6868 or Oregon Relay Service: 711 with such requests www.portlandoregon.gov/phb
