Gaza, December 31, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has said that water reservoirs in the Gaza Strip are almost dry, that would increase the harshness of life for the 1.5 million Palestinians living in the Strip.

A UNEP report Wednesday said that water resources in the Gaza Strip had been exhausted by overuse in addition to pollution resulting from the last Israeli operation on the Gaza Strip.

If the abuse continues, the preservation of water resources in Gaza would be pretty hard to handle and the damage may be difficult to deal with, said the report, adding that the initial estimated budget to clean water resources in Gaza was USD 58 million.

The issue needs immediate attention from the global community because the innocent people of Gaza do not deserve an additional problem to be thrown at them, said the report.

The UNEP coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and encourages sustainable development through sound environmental practices.

It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its headquarters in Nairobi. The UNEP also has six regional offices and various country offices.

The UNEP is the designated authority of the United Nations system in environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action.

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Photo by Mohammed Asad