The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) began cleaning up a massive garbage dump in the city of Gaza. It was formed during the war and buried the historic Fras market.
The landfill accumulated more than 300,000 cubic meters of waste, with a height of 13 meters, and posed a serious public health risk and environmental hazard.
The UNDP director in Gaza, Alessandro Mrakic, confirmed that the waste is being removed and transported to a new temporary site in Abu Jarad, south of the city. This site is designed to comply with environmental standards.
Origin of the landfill
The landfill was formed when municipal crews could not access Gaza’s main landfill in Juhr al-Dik after the war began in October 2023. That area fell under Israeli control, forcing waste to accumulate in the urban center.
The Gaza Municipality described the operation as an urgent measure to contain the solid waste crisis, which reached about 350,000 cubic meters in the heart of the city.
Impact on the population
The Fras market, which previously supplied 600,000 residents with food, clothing, and utensils, has been buried under garbage for over a year. According to Amjad al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGO Network, the landfill caused severe health and environmental problems, as well as the spread of insects and diseases.
Shawa noted that the removal of the landfill is also a symbol of hope following the ceasefire agreed in October 2025, as it shows progress towards the recovery of daily life.
Relocation and management plan
The waste will be transported to a provisional site near the former settlement of Netzarim until Israeli forces withdraw from the eastern areas and municipal access to permanent landfills can be restored.
The UNDP reported that since the start of the war, it has collected more than 570,000 tons of solid waste throughout Gaza as part of its emergency response. Additionally, the number of temporary landfills was reduced from 141 to 56 between 2024 and 2025, in an effort to eliminate the smaller ones and concentrate management in controlled sites.
The cleanup of the landfill in Gaza represents a crucial step to reduce health and environmental risks in a war-devastated enclave. The UNDP project aims not only to clear the historic market but also to restore minimal sanitary conditions and provide signs of recovery to the population.
