Gaza families forced to use makeshift toilets amid soaring sanitation costs

Since the conflict began, Gaza’s displaced population has been forced into tent settlements where sanitation is rudimentary at best. Eman Mahmoud Shamia describes the communal “municipal toilet” as a Stone Age solution lacking privacy, a problem compounded for her husband, who suffers from advanced lung cancer. Prices for used toilet seats have surged to 1,500-2,000 shekels, driving families like Mohammad Al-Hanouti to craft makeshift facilities from plastic chairs and sand.

Economist Omar Salouha attributes the crisis to a supply shock created by import bans on toilets and plumbing parts, while the Chamber of Commerce urges UNICEF, the World Food Programme, OCHA, the EU and WASH agencies to intervene. A UN-OCHA assessment found only half of surveyed residents have basic sanitation, and Dr Ahmed Al-Jedi notes a spike in diarrhoea and skin diseases among children and the elderly due to the cramped, unsanitary conditions.