#Access to clean water and sanitation

[greenthestral]

Achieving Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation for a Sustainable Future

Clean water and sanitation are fundamental human rights and essential for the well-being and prosperity of communities worldwide. Access to clean water is crucial for drinking, hygiene, agriculture, and industry. Sanitation facilities ensure the proper disposal of waste and prevent the spread of diseases. Recognizing the importance of water and sanitation, the United Nations has set Goal 6 as part of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this article, we will explore the significance of Goal 6, its targets, and the actions needed to achieve clean water and sanitation for all.

The Importance of Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

Access to clean water and sanitation is not only a pressing global issue but also a matter of basic human rights. Shockingly, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, a staggering 2.2 billion people worldwide lack access to safely managed drinking water, while an overwhelming 4.2 billion people do not have access to safely managed sanitation services. These numbers highlight the scale of the problem and the urgent need for action.

The consequences of inadequate water and sanitation are far-reaching and severe. One of the most significant impacts is the spread of waterborne diseases. Contaminated water sources and poor sanitation facilities create a breeding ground for diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. These illnesses disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including children and the elderly, leading to increased morbidity and mortality rates. Lack of access to clean water and sanitation perpetuates a cycle of poverty and ill-health, as communities struggle to break free from the burden of preventable diseases.

Child mortality is also closely linked to the absence of clean water and sanitation. Unsafe drinking water and inadequate sanitation facilities contribute to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children each year. Diarrheal diseases, in particular, claim the lives of many young children, as their weakened immune systems make them more susceptible to the harmful effects of contaminated water. Furthermore, the time spent collecting water from distant sources and the lack of proper sanitation facilities affect children's education and overall development, perpetuating a cycle of disadvantage and limited opportunities.

In addition to the human toll, inadequate access to clean water and sanitation hinders economic development. Communities that lack reliable access to clean water face numerous challenges. For instance, the burden of water collection falls primarily on women and girls, who often spend hours each day walking long distances to fetch water. This time-consuming task takes away from opportunities for education, income generation, and other productive activities, reinforcing gender inequalities and limiting economic empowerment.

Moreover, industries and businesses also suffer when water and sanitation are compromised. Lack of clean water can impede agricultural production, affecting crop yields and food security. Industries that rely on water, such as manufacturing and tourism, face operational challenges and increased costs when they must rely on alternative, often expensive, water sources. Inadequate sanitation can lead to environmental pollution, further exacerbating health risks and harming ecosystems, which are essential for the well-being of communities and biodiversity.

The gravity of the water and sanitation crisis necessitates urgent action and a comprehensive approach. Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognizes the importance of clean water and sanitation for all and sets targets to address these challenges. Governments, organizations, and individuals must prioritize investment in infrastructure development, education and awareness programs, sustainable practices, and innovative solutions.

By investing in infrastructure, such as water treatment plants, pipelines, and sanitation facilities, governments can improve access to clean water and proper waste management. Concurrently, education and awareness programs can promote proper hygiene practices, behavioral change, and the sustainable use of water resources. It is crucial to empower communities with knowledge and tools to protect their water sources and ensure sustainable practices are adopted at the individual and community levels.

Sustainable agriculture practices also play a significant role in achieving clean water and sanitation goals. Implementing water-efficient irrigation techniques, promoting organic farming, and reducing the use of harmful pesticides and fertilizers can help conserve water resources and prevent pollution. By embracing technology and innovation, such as water purification systems, smart water management systems, and affordable sanitation technologies, we can bridge the gap in access to clean water and sanitation, particularly in remote and underserved areas.

Collaboration and partnerships among governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), businesses, and communities are crucial for progress. By joining forces, sharing expertise, and pooling resources, we can overcome financial constraints, leverage innovative solutions, and achieve more significant impact. International cooperation, aid, and support can also play a pivotal role in assisting countries with limited resources to improve their water and sanitation infrastructure and practices.

The lack of access to clean water and sanitation remains a global crisis with far-reaching consequences. The numbers are staggering, and the impacts on health, child mortality, and economic development are severe. Achieving Goal 6 of the SDGs requires concerted efforts, investment in infrastructure, education, sustainable practices, and innovative solutions. It is only through collaboration and a commitment to this fundamental human right that we can ensure a sustainable future where every individual has access to clean water and sanitation, leading to improved health, reduced poverty, and enhanced opportunities for all.

Targets for Goal 6

Goal 6 encompasses multiple targets that aim to address the water and sanitation challenges. These targets include:

Achieving universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.

Ensuring access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all.

Improving water quality by reducing pollution and increasing water treatment.

Increasing water-use efficiency and ensuring sustainable water withdrawals.

Implementing integrated water resources management at all levels.

Protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, and lakes.

Actions to Achieve Goal 6

To achieve Goal 6 and ensure clean water and sanitation for all, various actions need to be undertaken at local, national, and global levels. Here are some key actions:

Infrastructure Development: Governments and organizations should invest in infrastructure development to improve water and sanitation systems. This includes building water treatment plants, pipelines, and sanitation facilities to ensure access to clean water and proper waste management.

Education and Awareness: Raising awareness about the importance of clean water and sanitation is crucial. Education programs can help communities understand the benefits of proper hygiene practices and promote behavior change to prevent water pollution and ensure the sustainable use of water resources.

Sustainable Agriculture: Promoting sustainable agriculture practices can reduce water pollution from pesticides and fertilizers. Implementing efficient irrigation techniques, such as drip irrigation, can also conserve water resources.

Collaboration and Partnerships: Addressing the water and sanitation challenges requires collaboration between governments, NGOs, businesses, and communities. Partnerships can bring together expertise, resources, and innovative solutions to overcome the barriers to clean water and sanitation.

Technology and Innovation: Embracing technological advancements can greatly contribute to achieving Goal 6. Innovative solutions, such as water purification systems, smart water management systems, and affordable sanitation technologies, can improve access to clean water and sanitation in remote areas.

Water Conservation: Encouraging water conservation practices at the individual and community levels is essential. Simple measures like fixing leaks, using water-efficient appliances, and harvesting rainwater can go a long way in reducing water wastage and ensuring the availability of clean water.

Success Stories and Best Practices

Several success stories demonstrate that progress can be made in achieving Goal 6. For instance, in Rwanda, the government's commitment to improving water and sanitation services has resulted in significant improvements in access to clean water, particularly in rural areas. The introduction of community-led total sanitation programs in Bangladesh has successfully improved sanitation practices and reduced open defecation.

Challenges and the Way Forward

Despite the progress made, significant challenges remain in achieving Goal 6. Limited financial resources, inadequate infrastructure, climate change impacts, and conflicts are some of the obstacles that need to be overcome. However, there are opportunities to address these challenges. By increasing investments in water and sanitation, promoting sustainable practices, and strengthening partnerships, we can create a future where clean water and sanitation are accessible to all.

Conclusion

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation is a critical component of the Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting the significance of access to clean water and sanitation for all. Achieving this goal requires concerted efforts from governments, organizations, communities, and individuals. By implementing the targets and taking necessary actions, we can ensure a sustainable future with clean water and sanitation, improving health, reducing poverty, and fostering economic development worldwide. Let us work together to make Goal 6 a reality and create a world where no one is deprived of this basic human right.

[townpostin]

Jharkhand CM Pushes for Clean Water Access

Champai Soren Reviews Progress of Jal Jeevan Mission The Jharkhand government intensifies efforts to ensure potable water availability across the state, with a focus on rural areas and quality infrastructure. RANCHI – Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren conducted a comprehensive review of the state’s drinking water and sanitation initiatives, emphasizing the timely completion of Jal Jeevan…

[chronicbitchsyndrome]

so: masking: good, unequivocally. please mask and please educate others on why they should mask to make the world safer for immune compromised people to participate in.

however: masking is not my policy focus and it shouldn't be yours, either. masking is a very good mitigation against droplet-born illnesses and a slightly less effective (but still very good) mitigation against airborne illnesses, but its place in the pyramid of mitigation demands is pretty low, for several reasons:

it's an individual mitigation, not a systemic one. the best mitigations to make public life more accessible affect everyone without distributing the majority of the effort among individuals (who may not be able to comply, may not have access to education on how to comply, or may be actively malicious).

it's a post-hoc mitigation, or to put it another way, it's a band-aid over the underlying problem. even if it was possible to enforce, universal masking still wouldn't address the underlying problem that it is dangerous for sick people and immune compromised people to be in the same public locations to begin with. this is a solvable problem! we have created the societal conditions for this problem!

here are my policy focuses:

upgraded air filtration and ventilation systems for all public buildings. appropriate ventilation should be just as bog-standard as appropriately clean running water. an indoor venue without a ventilation system capable of performing 5 complete air changes per hour should be like encountering a public restroom without any sinks or hand sanitizer stations whatsoever.

enforced paid sick leave for all employees until 3-5 days without symptoms. the vast majority of respiratory and food-borne illnesses circulate through industry sectors where employees come into work while experiencing symptoms. a taco bell worker should never be making food while experiencing strep throat symptoms, even without a strep diagnosis.

enforced virtual schooling options for sick students. the other vast majority of respiratory and food-borne illnesses circulate through schools. the proximity of so many kids and teenagers together indoors (with little to no proper ventilation and high levels of physical activity) means that if even one person comes to school sick, hundreds will be infected in the following few days. those students will most likely infect their parents as well. allowing students to complete all readings and coursework through sites like blackboard or compass while sick will cut down massively on disease transmission.

accessible testing for everyone. not just for COVID; if there's a test for any contagious illness capable of being performed outside of lab conditions, there should be a regulated option for performing that test at home (similar to COVID rapid tests). if a test can only be performed under lab conditions, there should be a government-subsidized program to provide free of charge testing to anyone who needs it, through urgent cares and pharmacies.

the last thing to note is that these things stack; upgraded ventilation systems in all public buildings mean that students and employees get sick less often to begin with, making it less burdensome for students and employees to be absent due to sickness, and making it more likely that sick individuals will choose to stay home themselves (since it's not so costly for them).

masking is great! keep masking! please use masking as a rhetorical "this is what we can do as individuals to make public life safer while we're pushing for drastic policy changes," and don't get complacent in either direction--don't assume that masking is all you need to do or an acceptable forever-solution, and equally, don't fall prey to thinking that pushing for policy change "makes up" for not masking in public. it's not a game with scores and sides; masking is a material thing you can do to help the individual people you interact with one by one, and policy changes are what's going to make the entirety of public life safer for all immune compromised people.

[determinate-negation]

im making this post to help support the fundraiser of @falestine-yousef, a 36 year old woman from gaza who is trying to save her family.

falestine's home was destroyed by the idf and her and her family have been made homeless. she recently gave birth to her son yousef during the war and had to immediately move into a tent where there is no access to clean water, food, sanitation, or really anything that a newborn child or mother need. so many women in gaza have had to give birth in the absolute worst conditions that are extremely dangerous, so it is urgent to raise money for this family. prices for everyday items like food and clean water are exorbitantly high and every donation can make a difference. her elderly parents are both suffering from health issues and need treatment that is simply unavailable in gaza right now. its so horrific that so many people have lost everything, so please donate and help this family.

this is a verified fundraiser. falestine is the sister of a few other people who have been fundraising on here for their families, and that is why they have photos of some of the same people in their posts. ive seen some confusion about her campaign so i want to make it clear this is a legit campaign and you should not hesitate to contribute. more information here on her family members campaigns, which you should donate to also

$10,729 raised of $40,000

[sscarletvenus]

"both sides are suffering" really? because one is buried under rubble without any access to food, water, sanitation products, no fuel for ambulances, no electricity to support incubators for preterm babies, no proper beds or equipment for major surgeries, using vinegar as disinfectant, relying on phone lights to operate, has run out of body bags, had their largest bakery which received humanitarian aid bombed immediately after while the other is dancing and feasting and rejoicing and making tiktoks in clean clothes and brightly-lit rooms with electricity...

[sayruq]

Amid Israel’s ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, maternal healthcare faces excruciating challenges. Deliberate and systematic Israeli attacks on hospitals and medical centers, and critical shortages of humanitarian aid, including medicine, have created a crisis that is endangering the lives of both mothers and newborns. The situation is critical. There are an estimated 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza and some 180 births every day. Israel’s decision in October to prevent food, water, fuel and electricity from entering Gaza created a desperate situation. Inadequate nutrition, exposure to cold and hot weather, the absence of clean water, and poor sanitation weigh heavily on the wellbeing of women and children. The circumstances force them to consume contaminated water, heightening the peril of dehydration and waterborne diseases, particularly among vulnerable groups such as expectant mothers, new mothers and young children. Fuel shortages and the constrained capacity of the few remaining medical facilities exacerbate the difficulty for women in labor to access hospitals. Um Amin, a mother with a few children, confronted with the harsh reality of displacement, recounted her family’s struggles during Israel’s aggression. As bombs relentlessly fell on their neighborhood, reducing their home to rubble, Um Amin had to seek refuge at a school run by the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) in the northern Gaza Strip taking only very few belongings. She was pregnant. And in the school there was little by way of basic necessities such as clean water, food or even clothes for her children. She considered moving south, where food might be a little more accessible. Her husband refused, causing conflict between them.He feared not being able to return. And while she believed that the Israeli army was attempting to force them to leave, she also felt it was a matter of life and death for her children. “It was heart-wrenching to witness my kids fighting over scraps of bread. My 4-year-old started stashing away bread in his pocket for later. I was shocked. Before the war, I never slept without knowing my children were fed. Now, most of the time, I am certain they never feel satisfied.” Her entire motivation to carry on became a matter of feeding her children She denied herself food for their sake, but had also to remind herself of the child within her. “The baby inside me is also a priority, so I had to eat too.” She found the balancing act incredibly challenging, an unbearable burden of motherhood. “I am going to share something I’ve never told anyone I know: I contemplated suicide to escape the weight of this responsibility.”

After the Israeli army unexpectedly stormed al-Rimal, a Gaza City neighborhood, for a second time, Um Amin panicked and fled again, this time going from the UNRWA school to a relative’s house. But her fear caused her to enter preterm labor. A doctor, at the nearby al-Sahaba medical center, had to resort to a cesarean section. It was hell, Um Amin said. There was insufficient anesthesia and she could feel the scalpel cutting into her body. There was no electricity; the doctor had to use a handheld flashlight to see. Um Amin’s cries of pain could not drown out the crashing of shells around her. The operation left her utterly drained. She couldn’t believe she was still alive.She needed nourishment to recover what she had lost during the bleeding and to breastfeed her son. But hunger was stalking Gaza. Food was scarce, there was no white flour in the markets, and Israel was blocking aid trucks from entering the north. “All I had to eat was bread made from animal feed and water. When I had my other children, I relied on foods rich in animal proteins, but it was impossible this time. The price of meat was five times higher than normal.” Unable to adequately breastfeed her child, she had to find infant formula. But the price was multiple times higher than it used to be and more than she could afford. Eventually, she was forced to buy formula that was past its expiry date. “You might blame me, but there was literally no other option. I didn’t have enough money. It wasn’t clumped together, so the doctor told me it could still be used.” She would never find out. Due to the lack of clean water, she prepared the milk with non-potable water from a well. The baby refused to drink.

[reasonsforhope]

"In drought-stricken areas, communities facing water shortages, or even in residential and commercial buildings eager to improve their environmental footprints, atmospheric water generators represent a new frontier in water production.

While it might sound like a tidbit from a science fiction movie, even the driest places on earth have moisture in the air that can be extracted and used for everyday necessities like plumbing and drinking. 

Unlike traditional dehumidifiers, which also pull moisture from the air, AWGs utilize filtration and sterilization technology to make water safe to drink. 

And while there are plenty of AWG companies out there — and the science itself isn’t novel — AWGs are becoming more efficient, affordable, and revolutionary in combating water scarcity in a myriad of communities.

Aquaria Technologies, a San Francisco-based AWG startup, was founded in 2022 to help provide affordable and clean drinking water in areas most affected by climate change. 

Using heat exchange and condensation, Aquaria’s generators draw air into their systems, cool that air below its dew point, and as it condenses, capture that water and filter it for consumption. 

As the cycle continues, the generator’s refrigerant vaporizes and goes through a process that cools it back into a liquid, meaning the heat transfer cycle repeats continuously in an energy-efficient and self-sustaining system.

“I’m sure you’ve had the experience in the summer, you take a glass of a cold drink out of the fridge and then water droplets form on the side of the bottle,” Aquaria’s co-founder and CEO Brian Sheng, said in a podcast episode. “That’s actually condensation.”

Sheng continued: “The question is, how do we create condensation? How do we extract water out of the air in large volume and using little energy? That’s what our technology does. We have created both active and passive cooling methods where we use special materials, and we’ve created heat exchange and recovery systems and airflow design, such that we’re maximizing heat exchange, and then we’re able to extract large volumes of water.”

Aquaria has created a number of generators, but its stand-alone model — the Hydropack X — can replace an entire home’s dependence on municipal water, producing as much as 264 gallons of potable water per day. 

Other models, like the Hydrostation, can provide water for up to 1,500 people at parks, construction sites, or other outdoor public areas. The Hydropixel can make 24 gallons of water per day for a seamless at-home application, requiring a simple outlet for power. 

“Atmospheric water generators present a groundbreaking solution to the global challenge of clean water scarcity, leveraging the humidity present in the air to produce potable water,” the company’s website explains.

“This technology is versatile, functioning efficiently across diverse climates — from arid regions to tropical settings. From rural communities in developing countries to advanced cities facing unexpected droughts, atmospheric water generators have a wide range of applications… transforming lives and providing secure, clean water sources.”

Considering an estimated 2.2 billion people lack access to clean water globally — including in American cities like Flint, Michigan, or Modesto, California — innovative solutions like AWGs are vital to maintaining the basic human right to clean water. 

The World Economic Forum has begun to dip its toes into this technology as well, implementing public and private partnerships to introduce AWG units in Arizona’s Navajo Nation, where the machines produce about 200 gallons of clean water per day.

“When combined with an appropriate level of community engagement and triple-bottom-line business (people, planet, profit),” a blog post for WE Forum said, “this model can be a powerful stopgap solution where few exist today.”

Similarly, according to New Atlas, Aquaria has a partnership with developers to supply its technology to a 1,000-home community in Hawaii later this year, relying entirely on atmospherically generated water.

The company also has a “Frontier Access Program,” which partners with water-related NGOs, community project developers, and sustainable development groups to deploy this technology in areas most in need.

Regardless of their use cases — in homes, in communities facing water shortages, or at aid sites navigating natural disasters — AWGs have a minimal environmental impact. Sourcing water “from thin air,” requires no plastic bottles, no large-scale plants using up loads of energy, and no byproducts that can harm the environment."

-via GoodGoodGood, August 27, 2024

[yahya-abu-zour]

Hello my friends...

🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨

Iam YehiaAbu Zor 33 years old ,my wife is pregnant and iam father of 3 childrens.

My story begin at 21 Oct when isrealian defense forces destroy my house and excude my dreams of living as all humans.

I spend 9 months in hills "north of Gaza strip "

and the attacks by IDF never been stopped even one day, our lives become unbelievable .

There's no food to eat, no clean water,no house and no safe place to escape from war, hospitals and schools are destroyed .

My children live in dangerous environment, they suffered from panic attacks for several times and from gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases due to pollution result from waste, garbage and poor sanitation.

Please help me to buy new home

and evacuate my family to safe place that provides safety and security.

"small donations can make big💔🙏

difference "

👇

In a war-torn village, a baby was born under harsh conditions. He had no healthcare and insufficient food to satisfy his hunger. His mother tried her best to provide for him, but the war had taken everything from them.At night, they slept on the cold ground in a makeshift shelter, with no blankets to keep them warm. The baby's constant crying reflected the pain of hunger and fear. Without medicine or enough food, the future seemed bleak.Yet despite all the suffering, the mother continued to fight, believing that hope would come someday, and that the war would end, bringing peace and a better life for her little one.

This child is in Gaza, and he is crying because there is no food, milk, or diapers for him. His parents are asking for help from everyone to provide these essential supplies for the child. I don’t have money, and the child’s father is also struggling. We need donations to help provide for our baby.

We need your help to support our family and provide the basics of a decent life. Every donation, no matter how small, will make a big difference in our lives.😭🇵🇸🙏💔

A child is suffering from severe rashes and infections in sensitive areas of his body due to the use of unsuitable cloth diapers. His condition is getting worse, and his family is desperately seeking treatment for his skin and relief for the sensitive areas affected. They are in urgent need of help to provide the necessary care and medications for their baby. They are pleading for assistance to help give their child the relief and comfort he desperately needs.💔

We are struggling to find clean water, and the available water does not meet safety standards. With no access to clean water in our homes, we are facing a serious crisis. We are making an urgent plea for help, as the lack of water is putting our lives and health at risk.💔🙏

We are forced to cook our🇵🇸 food over firewood, and as a result, the food is often unhealthy and harmful. The lack of proper cooking resources is making it difficult to provide safe and nutritious meals, putting our health at risk.😭

Our home was destroyed by the Israeli occupation, and we no longer have a safe place to live. We are left without shelter or access to proper healthcare, struggling to find safety and basic care for our family.💔

🚨🚨🚨

We are a simple family from Gaza, and we have suffered greatly from the difficult circumstances we live in here. The difficult economic conditions and the unstable security situation have made daily life very difficult. We need your help to support our family and provide the basics of a decent life. Every donation, no matter how small, will make a big difference in our lives. Thank you for your generosity and solidarity. Our prayers for peace and well-being for you and your families.

Vetted by @gazavetters my number verified on the list is ( #30 )

@irhabiya @commissions4aid-international @wellwaterhysteria @junglejim4322 @kibumkimxap @kibumkimxap @kibumkims @neechees @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @heritageposts @heritagepostsbot @heritagepostswithjax @toiletpotato @fromjannah @omegaversereloaded @vague-humanoidot @evillesbianvillainarchive @ot3-old @ot3-old @ot3showdown @ot3showdown @ot3showdown @amygdalae @amygdalaemotions @amygdalaenigma @amygdalaedamage-blog @amygdalaexploration-blog @ankle-beez @ankle @anklebanger @anklesdown @anklexbiters @anklexbiters @dykesbat @stuckinaprill @stuckinaprill @violentrevolution-blog @mar64ds @lacecap @lacecappedhydrangeas @watermotif @socalgal @socalgal69 @socalgall @socalgal9900-blog @socalgal76-blog

[soon-palestine]

Palestinian Territory - The Israeli authorities continue to enforce their ongoing arbitrary blockade of the Gaza Strip, refusing to allow humanitarian aid and necessities that are essential for survival—such as cleaning and personal hygiene supplies—into the Strip. This comes amid the spread of infectious diseases and on top of the precarious living conditions faced by the approximately 2.3 million Palestinians in the enclave, constituting a perpetuation of Israel’s comprehensive crime of genocide, which began on 7 October 2023.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor emphasises that the consequences of Israel’s intentional worsening of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, by blocking people’s access to cleaning and personal hygiene products, medical equipment, and sterilisation supplies, are dire. Nothing justifies subjecting the population to conditions that can cause widespread death, including by causing the spread of serious skin diseases and and infections, including hepatitis.

Israel continues to systematically and arbitrarily deny hygiene supplies and equipment to all Gaza Strip residents, exacerbating the catastrophic health crisis that Israel has caused there. This crisis has been made worse by the population’s forced, widespread, and repeatedly occurring displacement, as well as the lack of personal hygiene supplies and disinfectants in shelters and camps housing hundreds of thousands of displaced people. Israel continues to prevent and obstruct the entry of the most basic supplies into the Strip, creating conditions that are ripe for the spread of infectious diseases, water pollution, and the absence of sanitation services, as Israeli army forces have destroyed these facilities.

Since the beginning of the genocide nearly, Israel has arbitrarily closed crossings into the Gaza Strip, blocking the entry of humanitarian supplies and the flow of food and water. These actions have resulted in a dangerous accumulation of crises that directly threaten the lives and health of the Gaza Strip’s residents, most notably due to their lack of access to food, clean water, medicines, medical supplies, sanitary tools, and cleaning supplies.

Aya Kamal Ashour Abed, a 20-year-old displaced mother of two at the Deir al-Balah Preparatory School for Girls in the central Gaza Strip, spoke with the Euro-Med Monitor team. “We are more than 30 people living in this classroom for about nine months,” she stated. “A few months ago, we numbered roughly 70, but after some of the displaced individuals relocated to tents outside the school, our numbers dropped somewhat.

“We only receive cleaning and personal hygiene supplies in small quantities every two or three months, despite the fact that our number is very high and we require them constantly,” Abed continued. “Sanitation supplies, like tissues, soap, and shampoo, are extremely expensive [or] even nonexistent in the markets.”

Added Abed, “A bar of soap, for instance, now costs 30 shekels (roughly nine USD) while a bottle of shampoo costs 90 shekels (roughly 25 USD). We do not have anything to eat, so how can we afford these amounts for basic hygiene?”

Abed, who was displaced from her home in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip following its bombing last October, said that her two sons had become afflicted with allergies and bacteria, for which she is unable to provide ointments because they are unavailable in UNRWA clinics. “I showed my son to the doctor, and he told me that his entire body is seriously infected with bacteria due to poor hygiene,” Abed told Euro-Med Monitor.

Obtaining sanitary pads—which are pricey and hard to find in local markets—is one of her biggest challenges. “Even though my children’s diapers are completely unusable, I have to cut them into tiny pieces and use them as sanitary pads,” Abed explained. “During my period, I also have to use a single pad for the entire day, which has led to numerous infections and rashes.”

Approximately 680,000 women and girls in the Gaza Strip are of reproductive age. These individuals lack access to menstrual pads and other essentials, and also face other challenges such as inadequate access to water, toilets, various hygiene products, and privacy. Additionally, they must use contaminated or unsterilised materials, which puts them at risk of developing infections that can lead to infertility and uterine cancer.

Since Israel has cut off electricity to the Gaza Strip, there is a growing risk to all residents caused by waste accumulation and sewage flooding of roads and markets due to the inability to drain it. Israel has destroyed most of the Strip’s vital infrastructure, including sewage networks, and forced over two million people—the majority of whom have been displaced more than once—into shelters and tents that lack the basic necessities of life, personal hygiene, and health care.

Forty-two-year-old Mohammed Saad Abu Haitham said that his family of eight, which resides in a tent in the Mawasi neighborhood of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, is severely impacted by the lack of cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, and bar soap. Due to its scarcity, soap is unusually expensive and therefore difficult to purchase.

“We do not have the money to buy enough meals for our children, so we cannot buy cleaning materials and soap in light of their high prices and the lack of availability,” Abu Haitham told the Euro-Med Monitor team. “My spouse and kids’ hair has been infected with lice, and we all have skin diseases as a result of not washing and not using enough soap and shampoo.”

Food dyes are used instead of traditional dyes for making liquid soap and sterilisation products, which have not entered the Gaza Strip in months due to the Israeli closure of the crossings and the imposition of an arbitrary siege. These alternative and primitive cleaning products are made locally, are unsafe, and are generally insufficient in both quality and quantity when sold in the markets of the central and southern Gaza Strip.

Tens of thousands of cases of skin diseases, including eczema, have been reported to medical facilities as having cropped up in shelters and camps for displaced people living in tents. This is particularly concerning for women, as eczema often appears on the hands of people working to clean food utensils using antiquated and dangerous materials. Meanwhile, reports from the United Nations indicate that skin rashes and skin infections, especially among children, are sharply increasing in the Strip.

The Israeli authorities have placed an arbitrary and oppressive siege on the Palestinian people there, squeezing them into a tiny area with exceedingly limited resources; denying them access to food, clean water, and other necessities; and leaving them exposed to extreme heat.

The right to dignity is an internationally recognised human right that protects people from humiliation, among other forms of unethical treatment. It is meant to ensure fairness by providing the means for people to live in dignity, as well as other fundamental needs and rights, like the right to health and the right to water and sanitation. These rights are essential to maintaining human dignity and preserving the lives of the populace.

The only way to guarantee the rights of Gaza Strip residents is to put an end to Israel’s crime of genocide, lift the arbitrary siege on the Strip, and rescue what remains of the currently uninhabitable region. Delays will either cause the region to irreversibly deteriorate, or incur significant costs in terms of civilian lives and health.

The international community is required to guarantee the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, including the entry of non-food essentials needed to respond to the dire circumstances faced by the Strip’s entire population. Euro-Med Monitor stresses that swift and effective action must be taken to safely deliver aid to civilians across the entire Strip, including the northern section, which is particularly isolated right now. Additionally, the international community must prioritise providing adequate supplies of personal and family hygiene products, as well as products for menstruating individuals, plus sexual and reproductive health care services to prevent and mitigate further harm to women and children in particular, and the entire Palestinian population in general. These actions are mandated by international human rights law and relevant international obligations.

Pressure needs to be put on Israel, as the occupying force, to maintain sanitation facilities and services in the Gaza Strip, as well as to guarantee the safety of the technicians charged with repairing and renovating water lines and their various sources. The main water pipelines that enter the Strip need to be restored, particularly those that enter it from the north.

In addition to ensuring the entry of enough fuel to operate the Gaza Strip’s water and sanitation infrastructure, including desalination plants, water wells, and mobile toilets, it is crucial to exert pressure on Israel to permit the entry of materials required for repair work and rehabilitation of civilian infrastructure. These services are essential to the civilian population’s survival in the Strip, and will protect them from the threat of further health disasters.

[probablyasocialecologist]

When Israel severed electricity to Gaza, the desalination plants all shut down. So did the wastewater treatment stations. That has left the entire territory without running water. People buy dwindling jugs from municipal sanitation stations, scour for bottles in supermarkets or drink whatever fetid liquid may dribble out of their pipes. Quenching thirst has become more difficult in the past day, even for those with means to shell out for bottled water. It took 35-year-old Noor Swirki two hours on Saturday to find a box of six bottles she will try to stretch throughout the coming days. She took her first shower in a week Saturday, using a cup of polluted tap water and splashing it over her husband and two children before rubbing the remaining moisture on her skin. “We are here without anything, even the most basic thing,” she said, shouting over the persistent noise of crying children in the U.N. shelter in southern Khan Younis, where she sought refuge after an airstrike demolished her Gaza City apartment. “We’re worried about our safety in the bombing and now there’s this other issue of survival.” She and six other Palestinians interviewed across Gaza said they drink no more than half a liter of water a day. They said they urinate once a day or every other day.

[wittlesissyb4by]

Click HERE to read Chapter 1!

Click HERE to read Chapter 2!!

Click HERE to read Chapter 3!!!

Chapter 4 - The Ritual

“Do you want a mask?” Savannah asked, pulling her diaper/book bag close to her. “It really helps with the smell.”

Jack was on his back, sprawled on the floor with the gaggle of girls seated around him, his wife kneeling between his legs. 

“That’s okay…” Marianne replied hesitantly. Her voice was a bit shaky, staring down at the large, loaded diaper before her. The smell was already quite pungent, but she wanted Jack to be able to see the entirety of her face throughout, she thought he would like that, and she wanted to show that she wasn’t too intimidated by the task—even though she was. “I can handle it.” She said to the crowd, but probably more to herself. 

“They have these things called ‘Devrom’ tablets.” Trinity explained, “crush up a few and put them in their bottles and it takes away the smell like magic.”

Brooke looked shocked. “It doesn’t stink at all??”

“Girl, I don’t even bat an eye.” She scoffed, “ but without them I’m fucking dyinggg”

The girls all laughed and nodded in agreement, now deadset on trying it. 

When the giggles finally died down, all eyes focused on the grown man wallowing in his own filth before them. Marianne felt the heavy expectations weighing on her again. She could easily pass the task off to one of the other girls, she was sure they would happily oblige. But this was her husband, her responsibility. No more dilly-daddling (as she liked to say) the time was now. 

She could feel how hard he was when she pressed her palm to the landing zone of the diaper, holding it down so she could grip the tapes with her fingers and pull them off one by one. 

1…

2…

3…

4…

The front of the diaper flapped about once the fasteners were freed. Marianne gripped the front, then felt a hand to her shoulder. 

“We’re here with you,” Claire smiled reassuringly , “now take a deep breath, and open it up.”

Marianne smiled, happy to have the other girls around even for this moment that would otherwise be intimate. There would be plenty of time for that to happen between just her and Jack in the future. For now, it was time. 

She peeled the front of the diaper open. It wasn’t quite as horrific as she’d imagined, but it wasn’t exactly a pocket full of posies either. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if they didn’t make him mush it around with his humping, but it was still doable. The smell punched her square in the face, she had to clamp her watering eyes shut and turn her head to catch some fresh air and keep herself from gagging. 

Brooke handed her the package of wipes. Marianne pulled out several, then several more. It was probably going to take even more than that to get the job done. 

“Use the front of the diaper to clean the majority of the mess,” Savannah said helpfully. 

Right. She knew that. She’d changed many-a-diapers before, just not one so big and defiled. Pulling the front flap of the diaper, Marianne pressed down and worked much of the mush down his bits and crack to the bottom of the diaper. That took care of most of it, now she would only need a few wiped for the cleanup.  The girls on either side of Jack’s legs grabbed his calves and lifted them up to her so that his ankles locked together in her palm. She raised his legs so that she had an easier access to his crack, which she cleaned with a few wipes as well as other areas that got a little messy. By then, she was more or less nose-blind to the smell. Overall, it wasn’t too unpleasant of an experience, but not exactly her idea of a picnic either. She pulled the soiled diaper out from beneath him, rolled it into a ball, taped it up, and set it to the side. She immediately wanted to wash her hands, but Val already had a tube of sanitizer ready to go. 

“I know how it is,” she said with a shrug and a grin before squirting a healthy dollop of the liquid into Marianne’s palm. 

“Okay,” Marianne sighed, clapping her palms back and forth triumphantly, “that wasn’t too bad!”

Jack and all the girls smiled. The latter gave her a proud little clap. 

“You did so good!”

“Great job!”

“I almost puked my first time!”

“It only gets easier!”

Marianne was so flattered by their words of encouragement that she almost forgot what she was doing. Luckily, the girls were there to save the day again, handing her a fresh diaper, powder, lotion, and all the other essentials. 

“Wait!” Savannah exclaimed once Marianne had the new diaper splayed out beneath Jack’s bottom. “Are we gonna…practice first?” She asked suggestively, then shrugged when the other girls eyed her. “What? It’s part of why we came here isn’t it? The exam isn’t just written, it’s practical too, we’re going to have to demonstrate that we know what we’re do—“

“But we can’t do that if Marianne doesn’t feel comfortable.” Brooke interjected. 

“No,” Marianne said, silencing the room, “No…it’s…fine.” she sighed, “It’s why you all came here in the first place, right?”

The girls collectively shrugged, not wanting to impose, but also a bit stressed for the test. Marianne smiled in hopes of giving them some relief. “Worry not, dears! He’s all yours! Savannah? You’re up first!”

Even though Marianne had reservations about letting other people touch her husband, being able to be a strong leader for other people was always a strong passion of hers. It was hard for her to not have a matronly affection for this group of budding women. She wanted to see them succeed just as much as she did her own. 

Savannah quickly switched places, looking more than a bit nervous. Marianne was happy to see someone else be the center of attention (other than a naked Jack) for a change. 

“Gloves,” Marianne reminded her, handing her a set. Savannah smiled, accepting the nitrile gloves and putting them on her hands ever so slowly. Jack quivered on the floor, the diaper beneath him crinkling, he looked so scared and helpless, but his dick betrayed him. It was sticking straight up in the air, twitching and bobbing back and forth with a hefty amount of leakage. The girls, including Savannah and Marianne especially, cackled in amusement.

“I grew up in a very conservative family,” Savannah explained as she squeezed a dollop of lotion onto two of her fingers. “I didn’t even know about the prostate and the supposed ‘p-spot’. Hell, they wouldn’t even tell me about the female G-spot! So imagine my surprise when I found out men could cum this way!!” She brought her hand downwards between Jack’s crack, poked around for a bit, leaned down to check to make sure she’d found his hole, checked again, then pressed inward. 

Jack immediately clenched, arms and legs splaying upward as Savannah entered him. The other girls, including Marianne, immediately gripped a wrist or ankle and pressed it back down to the floor, holding him still. 

“Shhhh!! Just relax little Jackie!” Brooke cooed. 

“It’ll be okay!”

“Just a little poke!”

Val looked to Savannah. “Did you find it?”

“I’m not sure…” Savannah said, screwing up her face and looking up at the ceiling with concentration as she prodded around inside Jack’s rectum. 

“Up and back,” Trinity explained helpfully.

“Behind his wiener.”

“Give the ‘come hither’ motion.”

“I’m trying…” Savannah said, “but I just can’t–”

Unnghhh!!

It was Jack. He’d let out the most pathetic, high-pitched squeal.

“Oh!” Savannah smiled salaciously, “Well I guess that’s the spot then, huh?”

She spent several seconds working her finger in and out of Jack’s hole. Practicing finding it again and again until she was sure she had it down. When she was satisfied, she pulled off the gloves and set them next to his rolled up dirty diaper, leaving Jack a heaving mess on the floor.

Brooke picked up the next set of gloves, despite being one of the more experienced ones in the group. “Doesn’t hurt to practice, does it?” She shrugged with a smile.

From there, it was a merry-go-round of the different girls snapping on the medical gloves and probing Jack’s asshole like they were looking for buried treasure. Some of them worked it more than others. Val specifically seemed to get enjoyment out of how much leakage she could force out of Jack’s cock without him having a full-on orgasm. 

While the other girls were waiting, someone suggested they give Jack a makeover.

“He’d look sooo much cuter as a baby girl!!” They cooed.

Marianne was reluctant at first, but once they all started painting the nails of whichever extremity of Jack’s they were holding, she had to admit it was quite fun, and he did look rather cute with what was left of his graying hair tied up in a little fountain pigtail at the top of his head. Brooke even had a ruffly pink croptop to put him in. “Always bring extra outfits in your diaper bag, I always say!” she toted over the hysterical laughter of the other girls. 

“It’s back to you, Marianne.” Trinity said while applying mascara to Jack’s lashes. Val hardly needed to apply any blush to his already rosy cheeks, but she did it anyway.

“Well I think we’ve all got it down now, don’t we?” Marianne asked the room, they collectively nodded, feeling pretty confident. “So if that’s the case, I don’t see why we need to go any further with–”

“M-mommy?”

It was the softest of voices. The circle of girls all looked down to the center, where the helpless man in his 50’s was squirming with his made-up face all scrunched up in desperation. 

Marianne eyed the rest of the girls, then her husband, “What is it, dear?”

It was Jack’s eyes that danced around now, side to side, his squirming intensified. He tried to bring a hand up to his face, to do literally anything with his hands, but Trinity gave it a sharp slap so he didn’t ruin his make-up.

“Use your words!” she barked sternly.

It was like watching someone try to speak for the first time. Jack mewed and cooed but no discernible words came out. Until he finally found his voice and said “C-can I cum?”

The girls, including Marianne, roared with laughter. 

“Awww!! Wittle baybee wants to make cummies!!”

“Is somewon fwustwated??”

“Poor wittle guy!!”

“Don’t you mean gurl?? Hahaha!!”

When the laughter died down, Marianne spoke with her leadership voice. “Hmm…watta you think girls? Should my hubby here get to cum?”

The room seemed entirely against it, but Claire at least seemed to consider. “Maybe if he begs…”

“Ooh! I like that!”

“Yea! Let’s hear the wittle baybee say pweez!”

“Use the magic word!!”

“Beg little bitch boi!” Trinity immediately caught her breath at using such language, turning to Marianne, but she immediately shook it off as nothing.

“Go on,” she nodded at her husband.

Jack’s powdered face turned scarlet, but he’d already come this far, he just had yet to cum…despite being fingered, teased and tortured by a bunch of beautiful college girls.

“P-please Goddesses…” he said in the highest tone he could muster, “C-can I pweez make cummies?”

The question hung in the air for several seconds, drawing out his desperation.

“I didn’t hear him…” Claire finally said, “Did you hear him?”

“Nope…” the girls shook their head in unison. “Maybe he needs to say it louder…”

“PWEEZ can I make cummieeeessss” Jack whined desperately.

“Tell us you’re a princess!”

“A pamper princess!”

“Suck your thumb!”

“Wiggle your hips!”

“Shake that clitty!”

It was a pitiful sight. Jack with his thumb planted between his glossy lips, swishing around in his new pink top, whimpering and whining and pleading for pleasure while he smacked his throbbing, leaking cock to and fro from thigh to thigh.

“Watta you say girls?” Marianne asked again, “Do you think he’s earned it?”

This time they nodded, some having to wipe away tears from how hard they were laughing. 

“How should we have him do it?” Brooke asked, always the planner. They looked to Marianne expectantly, but she just shrugged, unsure.

“Humpies?”

“Na, too boring.”

“Let him stroke it?”

“Even more boring!”

“I know!” Claire exclaimed, quieting the room. They all leaned in intently. “I heard…that for last year’s final exam, they had to make a mannekin cum without any penile or anal stimulation. Maybe we could work on that!”

“So, you mean, just make him…cum himself? Without touching him at all?”

“You can touch them.” Claire clarified, “Just not on their naughty bits.”

They all exchanged glances. “Sounds impossible.” Trinity scoffed.

“Yea, no way.” 

“I’ve made them cum in cages,” Val shrugged, “But I always use plugs or vibrators. We can’t use those either?”

“Nope.”

They all bit their bottom lips in thought, contemplating. 

Finally, Marianne broke the silence: “Well…we can always try. And if we don’t get it, no harm no foul, right? I’m sure Jack can wait for another time!”

He didn’t seem thrilled about that at all, but he also liked the idea of them trying to make him cum, so his frazzled brain just sat there drooling instead of making up its mind on how it felt about the situation.

“Soo…” Brooke intoned, “how should we start?”

******

Jack was a mess of panic and excitement. He quivered like a cornered puppy within the circle of six women. Marianne found herself surprisingly aroused by how helpless and exhilarated he seemed.  She could feel the pheromones radiating off of him. 

“It’s okay Jack,” she said softly, running her hand affectionately up his leg, “we’re going to take good care of you…”

The girls giggled and hummed, like they were all in a cleansing ritual of some kind. Their hands traced the skin of whatever body part was closest to them, arms, legs, neck, chest, ears and feet. The pressed their perfect, perky tits out and into his line of sight, bouncing them, squeezing them together, bringing them centimeters from his face only to bounce them away again.

Marianne continued to move her hands over his legs, up and down, up and down, feeling his body tense and relax rhythmically. His cock was standing straight up in the air, bouncing and bobbing as he clenched, pre-cum raining out and down his shaft. It was working.

Jack’s eyes closed and rolled backward, Trinity didn’t seem satisfied enough with that, though, pulling a blindfold out and placing it over his balding head, depriving the one sense so as to intensify the rest. 

Brooke took a pacifier out and brought it to his lips, gently running it over and around them. Jack opened his mouth to receive it, breath catching and releasing desperately. Soft, squeaky moans creaking from his throat. He tried to reach blindly for the rubber nipple with his mouth, but Brooke deftly pulled it away each time, making him even more whiny and desperate.

Savannah ran her nails along the ruffles of his princess shirt, tweaking his nipples until he let out a gasp, then a bit harder until he yelped, but he didn’t seem to mind it. In fact, it made his dick swell and twitch even more.

Marianne didn’t think she’d ever seen her husband so turned on. She used her finger to circle around his pubic region, making sure not to touch any of his private parts, even though she wanted to. She knew if she could just wrap a hand (or even two fingers) around his pulsing shaft, it would all be over in seconds. He raised his hips and wriggled desperately over his diaper, searching for her hand, trying to get any sort of stimulation to his cock that he could, but Marianne just smiled and dodged it easily. 

Val brought Jack’s hand close to her breast, looking to Marianne for approval. She gave a definitive nod. Jack would be eternally grateful to her for this experience, and he would be thanking her in plenty of ways later. He gently squeezed Valencia’s boobs, and Savannah’s too.

“Squeeze his thighs,” Claire whispered in Marianne’s ear to where Jack couldn’t hear, “I do it when I give my boyfriend a blowjob and it drives him crazy.”

Marianne obliged, gripping his inner legs while he gripped the girls’ boobs. His breathing intensified, his thighs shook beneath her grasp. Trinity and Brooke were whispering and nibbling at his ears, breathing down his neck, Brooke still dangling the pacifier ever so slightly away from his puckering lips.

Jack was getting stimulated in every single one of his erogenous zones and then some, with the exception, of course, of his penis. His groans were gutteral, then high-pitched and needy all at the same time. Six pairs of hands circled his skin, rubbing, poking, pinching, scratching, tapping. Jolts of electricity coursing through him. Marianne had never seen him so turned on, she didn’t think she had ever been so turned on, just by seeing her husband turned into a pitiful, whimpering, whining puddle right before her eyes. 

“You’re gonna be our little fairy boi” Trinity whispered in his ear.

“Our little loser we’ll parade around town” Brooke continued.

Jack shook his head back and forth, as if trying to block out the sounds that were making him so incredibly aroused.

“We’ll make you our little bitch!” Val said, joining in.

“Everyone’s gonna know how pathetic you are.” Savannah intoned.

His breathing got louder, crescendoing. His body tensed, spasming. He humped the air, rubbed his ass over the diaper below, making it crinkle. Brooke shoved the pacifier in his mouth, he sucked it like it contained the nectar of the gods. Marianne squeezed his thighs, forcing him down. So did the other girls on his extremities, pinning him down like they were worried their little ritual was going to make him levitate up to the ceiling. 

Marianne smiled, they had him, he just needed one last little push. She leaned over so that her mouth was inches away from his dick, to where he could only feel her hot breath upon it: “...and all of it while you are wearing a big, fat, diaper.”

Then, to all of their surprise, with one last, powerful grunt, his dick started erupting. A huge shot of semen soared through the air, then another, and another. Marianne backed away as soon as she saw it go off but, being between his legs, caught the most of the onslaught. Sticky juices rained out of her husband’s penis, showering the front of her shirt. The girls continued to pin him down while he spasmed and suckled his pacifier, air whistling through his nose as he had one of the most powerful orgasms any of them had ever witnessed.

All of them were wide-eyed, exchanging glances, like they could not possibly believe what they just saw. Jack’s jism was everywhere, he just came a gallon’s worth–and they didn’t even touch him. The girls checked their arms and legs to make sure none of it got on them, then they erupted in genuine, surprised laughter. 

“I can’t believe he did it!”

“We did it!”

“I didn’t think it was possible.”

“If we can make a creepy old man do that, imagine how easy a horned-up college boy will be!”

The girls released Jack, who was still panting on the floor, eyes glazed from his orgasm. Marianne returned to the task at hand, bringing the diaper upward. She didn’t bother cleaning up his goo goo, the diaper would absorb it, and he’d probably be wetting it soon anyway. Speaking of wet, a slight shifting of Marianne’s thighs told her she had enjoyed that little ritual too. Why had such a scene been such a turn on? And why was she starting to come up with more ways to degrade and humiliate her husband? She was enjoying all of this quite a bit more than she ever would have thought.

To Be Continued

I just released Chapter 6 - Diapers and Dommes - on my Substar!! I'm pretty proud of it, so I hope you'll decide to join and read it. Your support goes a long way to continue to keep a roof over my head, and provide electricity to write more! ALL of my stories are available to Bronze subscribers and up!

[rebel-girl-queen-of-my-world]

Follow @MuniGaza and DONATE NOW: bit.ly/munigaza

$313,940/$1,000,000 collected so far

The Gaza Municipality is tasked with providing essential services such as water supply and sanitization, waste management, and sewage treatment. Due to the ongoing genocide of Gaza, the Municipality’s ability to provide their residents with even the most basic necessities has become severely strained and obsructed.

By joining us in spreading the word and donating generously — you can assist the Gaza Municipality in fostering an atmosphere of solidarity with the people of Gaza. There are over 500,000 Palestinians that are in desperate need of these life sustaining amenities, and with your support they can work efficiently towards reinstating essential services.

“Where will my donations go?”

-Water supply enhancement projects

-Maintenance of water wells

-Implementation of water desalination initiatives

-Reconstruction of demolished roads

-Implementation of sewage water pumping and treatment schemes

-Pest and rodent control

“But what does all of that really mean?”

-Enhancing access to water provisions while maintaining consistency

-Managing the collection and disposal of the accumulated waste throughout Gaza

-Addressing sewage overflow and sanitation issues across the city

-Initiate the opening of key through-fares, which would facilitate the access and entry of emergency vehicles

-Clearing debris from the city to restore the ease of movement for it’s residents

-Providing aid to the personnel of the Gaza Municipality Emergency Committee

$313,940/$1,000,000 has been collected

They still need: $686,060

WE NEED TO RAISE AT LEAST $7,222 PER DAY TO MEET THE GOAL

Contribute to opening a damaged road in Gaza City: $300

Provide Water to 10,000 people for a Day: $500

Contribute to Cleaning up Waste Accumulated in Gaza City: $200

Follow @MuniGaza

DONATE NOW: bit.ly/munigaza

find the link in our link tree in bio!

[chronicbitchsyndrome]

so... i'm seeing a lot of activism (like, actual activism, not just tumblr posts--letters & scripts to us senators, for example, copy written for press, etc) focusing on improving ventilation & filtration as primarily an access issue for immunocompromised people. basically, presenting the argument as "this is in service of this demographic, who is blocked from public access currently."

this is like. true. of course. it is the main reason i want clean air and i think it is the most pressing reason overall for it. but i think it's the wrong tack for building a clean air movement and getting legislation passed.

like, unfortunately, the vast majority of people in power--and of americans in general, tbh--are not immunocompromised and do not have immunocompromised roommates or family members. should you have to have this experience to understand that public access is a big fucking deal for, like, staying alive? no! you shouldn't! but most people straight up will not understand whatsoever unless they have personal experience with immune compromisation.

trying to change hearts and minds to have cognitive sympathy for disabled people takes a long time, decades' worth of work to just change a handful of people; meanwhile, getting legislation passed is 1) imminently important, 2) while still a lengthy process, takes significantly less time if it doesn't hinge on first converting the majority of the population to have sympathy for a marginalized demographic they have no contact with (and yes, they have no contact with us because we are barred from public access to begin with, again, i am aware of how fucked up this is).

here's some arguments for passing clean air legislation that are designed to appeal to a normative, conservative-leaning crowd:

air filtration is a public health and sanitation baseline just like running water. we provide clean water to drink and wash our hands in as a baseline for public life; we should also be providing clean air to breathe similarly.

improved ventilation and filtration in schools results in less sick days for students, meaning better attendance and less time off work for parents.

improved ventilation and filtration in the workplace results in workers taking less sick days. it also makes it less troublesome when a coworker comes in sick; it's less likely you will have to take sick leave as a result.

improved ventilation and filtration in hospitals, doctors' offices, etc, helps combat the health care worker shortage by reducing the amount of sick leave health care workers need. it additionally makes hospitals safer overall; for example, it makes it safer for cancer patients to be in the same building with patients with highly infectious airborne illnesses such as chickenpox.

improved ventilation and filtration in public buildings at large could improve the economy, as less workers stay home, more people enter the workforce, more people begin attending public businesses like bars and venues, etc.

if government programs to upgrade ventilation and filtration are created, this could create jobs for blue-collar workers, further improving the economy.

the last note i have is that, as much as this sucks shit, don't mention covid as much as you can avoid it. covid has become a massive culture war thing in the usa and as soon as you bring it up, the entire discussion becomes about virtue-signaling and showing in-group affinity--it doesn't matter what you're saying about covid, anyone who thinks "covid is over" will immediately shut down and become incapable of listening to anything else you have to say. and unfortunately, a majority of the population does, in fact, think covid is an irrelevant concern even for immunocompromised people in 2024.

importantly, all general air sanitation improvements will improve the covid situation significantly. in this context, you do not have to talk about covid in order to make real, material changes limiting the spread of covid. system-level changes that limit the spread of things like the flu and chickenpox are equally effective in limiting the spread of covid. take advantage of that!

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Health

Health - a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO, 2019).

This definition has been subject to controversy, as it may have limited value for implementation.

Generally, the context in which we live our lives is critical for our health and quality of life.

It is increasingly recognized that health is maintained and improved not only through the advancement and application of health science, but also through intelligent lifestyle choices and efforts of the individual, as well as larger society.

Main Determinants of Health According to WHO

Social environment

Economic environment

Physical environment

Individual characteristics and behavior

Global Indicators of Health

Health indicators - quantifiable characteristics of a population which researchers use for describing the health of a population.

Adopting a standard system with reliable measures for defining health is important for global monitoring of changes in health.

Researchers using data collected from around the world look for patterns in identifying, preventing, and treating disease.

There are 3 common global health indicators identified by The World Health Organization (WHO) that directly and indirectly measure and monitor global health:

Life expectancy

Infant mortality

Subjective well-being

These 3 indicators serve as standard measures to assist health professionals working in both developed and developing countries. 

LIFE EXPECTANCY

A statistical measure of the average time an organism (in our case human) is expected to live, based on the year of its birth, its current age and other demographic factors including gender.

There are great variations in life expectancy between different parts of the world, mostly caused by differences in public health, medical care, and diet.

Comparing life expectancies from birth across countries can be problematic.

There are differing definitions of live birth versus stillbirth even among more developed countries, and less developed countries often have poor reporting.

INFANT MORTALITY

Refers to the the death of young children under the age of 1.

Infant mortality rate (IMR) - the number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1000 live births.

IMR - is used to standardize infant deaths for global comparisons (WHO, 2019).

Premature birth is the largest contributor to the IMR.

Other leading causes of infant mortality are birth asphyxia, pneumonia, congenital malformations, diseases and malnutrition.

Many factors contribute to infant mortality, such as the mother’s level of education, environmental conditions, and political and medical infrastructure.

Improving sanitation, access to clean drinking water, immunization against infectious diseases, and other public health measures can help reduce high rates of infant mortality.

SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING

Is the scientific term for happiness and life satisfaction—thinking and feeling that your life is going well, rather than badly.

Levels of subjective well-being are influenced by both internal factors, such as personality and outlook, and external factors, such as the society in which they live.

Some of the major determinants of SWB are:

A person’s inborn temperament, the quality of their social relationships, the societies they live in, and their ability to meet their basic needs.

Sources: 1 2 3 4

[sayruq]

 As the escalation of the conflict extends to its 19th day, a staggering 2.2 million people are now in urgent need of food. Prior to the hostilities, 104 trucks a day would deliver food to the besieged Gaza Strip, one truck every 14 minutes. 

Despite 62 trucks of aid being allowed to enter southern Gaza via the Rafah crossing since the weekend, only 30 contained food and in some cases, not exclusively so. This amounts to just one truck every three hours and 12 minutes since Saturday. 

[...]

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) strictly prohibits the use of starvation as a method of warfare and as the occupying power in Gaza, Israel is bound by IHL obligations to provide for the needs and protection of the population of Gaza. In 2018, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 2417, which unanimously condemned the use of starvation against civilians as a method of warfare and declared any denial of humanitarian access a violation of international law. Oxfam said that it is becoming painfully clear that the unfolding humanitarian situation in Gaza squarely fits the prohibition condemned in the resolution. 

Clean water has now virtually run out.  It’s estimated that only three litres of clean water are now available per person – the UN said that a minimum of 15 litres a day is essential for people in the most acute humanitarian emergencies as a bare minimum. Bottled water stocks are running low and the cost of bottled water has already surged beyond the reach of an average Gaza family, with prices spiking fivefold in some places. A spokesperson for the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNWRA) pointed out that some of the food aid allowed in - rice and lentils - is useless, because people do not have clean water or fuel to prepare them. 

A series of airstrikes have left several bakeries and supermarkets either destroyed or damaged. Those that are still functional, can’t meet the local demand for fresh bread and are at risk of shutting down due to the shortage of essentials like flour and fuel. Gaza’s only operative wheat mill is redundant due to the power outages. The Palestinian Water Authority says Gaza's water production is now a mere 5 percent of its normal total, which is expected to reduce further, unless water and sanitation facilities are provided with electricity or fuel to resume its activity. 

Notably, essential food items, like flour, oil and sugar, are still stocked in warehouses that haven’t been destroyed. But as many of them are located in Gaza city, it is proving physically impossible to deliver items due to the lack of fuel, damaged roads and risks from airstrikes.  

The electricity blackout has also disrupted food supplies by affecting refrigeration, crop irrigation, and crop incubation devices.  Over 15,000 farmers have lost their crop production and 10,000 livestock breeders have little access to fodder, with many having lost their animals. Oxfam said that the siege, combined with the airstrikes, has crippled the fishing industry with hundreds of people who rely on fishing losing access to the sea. 

[reasonsforhope]

"Samuel Onyango’s office at Kibera Primary School is serene and spacious. His table is neatly arranged, with an assortment of files and an array of books. One side of his cream-colored office is decked with aggregate performance scores, and another shows off several trophies in a glass cabinet. Last year, Onyango’s school performed a traditional dance and scooped third place in the National Drama and Film Festivals, where schools across the country competed for the top prize.

But today Onyango, the school’s principal, is bragging about something much more basic: Thanks to an innovative community program, his students and teachers are no longer getting sick from dirty water.

Onyango’s school, with a staff of 30 and a student body of about 1,700, is in Kibera, a neighborhood in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that is widely known as Africa’s largest informal settlement. It is a community of houses made from mud or tin sheeting where residents have to hustle to meet even their most basic needs, like electricity or clean water.

It is also a community where creativity and innovation, at the heart of any hustle, are changing how some people can access clean water — and making major ripples in public health.

Onyango’s school has long gotten its water the same way many people in Kibera do: by buying it from independent suppliers, who truck water in and sell it for around $30 per 10,000 liters (about 2,650 gallons). But trucked water can be contaminated, despite suppliers’ promises, and Onyango’s students and staff were often using unclean water at home, too. It was common, he says, for both teachers and students to get sick and miss school because of waterborne illnesses.

Last November, Onyango’s school got connected to an aerial clean water system built by a local grassroots organization called SHOFCO, which stands for Shining Hope for Communities. “Once we got connected to SHOFCO’s water,” Onyango says, “cases of these ailments reduced to nil.”

SHOFCO’s water distribution system currently reaches about 40,000 people and distributes more than 3.7 million gallons of clean water per month.

Access to safe drinking water — and its equitable distribution — underpins public health. But for the estimated 250,000 people in Kibera, who live without any government infrastructure, clean water is often a luxury. Many people are using illegal water connections, which proliferate among the poor — there are nearly 130 in just three lesser-resourced Nairobi neighborhoods. But those DIY hookups can mix clean water with raw sewage, and Kenyan officials have recently warned of a looming public health crisis if water access is not prioritized.

Shifting weather patterns also increase the risk of waterborne illness, government officials say. The Ministry of Health and the Kenya Red Cross Society have called out severe flooding during the El Niño weather pattern as a source of a recent major cholera outbreak in parts of the country. Kibera was not spared this risk: The floods led to the contamination of various sources of water in the sprawling neighborhood.

But the aerial piping system SHOFCO built in 2012 — the one that brings water to Onyango’s school — saved some Kibera residents, quite literally. With collaboration from health and county authorities, SHOFCO has all but eliminated diarrheal disease in the communities that use its aerial piping system, according to Gladys Mwende, a program officer at SHOFCO. In the health facilities SHOFCO runs, the incidences of diarrheal infections have also gone down, she adds.

Pictured: People in Kibera’s Makina section pass by the signature blue pillars that hold up SHOFCO’s aerial water piping system. Visual: Sarah Waiswa/Harvard Public Health Magazine

“[Poor sanitation is the reason] that our water is aerial piped,” says Kennedy Odede, the founder and CEO of SHOFCO. Piping water in helps clean water maintain its integrity without interference from elements including tampering. In a huge community with no major infrastructure, piping seemed impossible — there was no money and no will to build a disruptive underground system connected to the city’s main water supply. Instead, Odede and his team put the pipes up in the air. “As somebody who grew up in Kibera, to see this clean water — which I have also drank — is powerful.”

SHOFCO’s water distribution system currently reaches about 40,000 people and distributes more than 3.7 million gallons of clean water per month — nearly 46 million gallons per year — at community water kiosks, which residents access with tokens linked to the mobile money platform M-Pesa. The water kiosks are pre-programmed to fill jerry cans that hold about five gallons at a cost of 3 Kenyan shillings, or about 23 U.S. cents.

A recent evaluation of SHOFCO’s clean water efforts, undertaken by the African Population and Health Research Center, shows diarrheal disease among children under age five have decreased by 31 percent where community members used SHOFCO water kiosks and received SHOFCO’s sanitation messaging.

“We don’t get as many cases of diarrhea even though now we are in the middle of the floods,” Mwende says. “Communities have not reported any outbreaks within the areas where we are working.”

Mohammed Suleiman is grateful for the change. Suleiman, 25, was born here, and it’s been his job for the last 18 years to fetch 135 gallons of water daily for his family’s personal needs and for their samosa business.

Two months ago, Sulieman contracted typhoid from the unsanitary water he was consuming. Once he recovered, he says, switching to SHOFCO water kiosks was a no-brainer.

“I don’t know where the other independent vendors get it from,” he says. But he trusts SHOFCO water. “Water sourced from SHOFCO is cleaner than that of other vendors,” he says. “I don’t have to treat water from [SHOFCO] kiosks before consuming it.”

And he’s the living proof: Since switching to SHOFCO water, Suleiman hasn’t been sick even once."

-via Undark, August 13, 2024