Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
The United Nations has issued a stark warning over the environmental and public health risks facing residents of the Gaza Strip as reconstruction efforts begin amid mountains of war debris contaminated with asbestos one of the world’s most dangerous carcinogens.
According to new data from the United Nations Satellite Analysis Program (UNOSAT), nearly 193,000 buildings across Gaza have been either destroyed or severely damaged as of July 8, 2025. This represents approximately 78 percent of all pre-war structures that existed before the conflict erupted on October 7, 2023. The agency estimates that around 4.9 million tons of rubble could be tainted with asbestos, particularly from older buildings constructed with asbestos-based materials.
Experts warn that inhaling asbestos fibers can cause severe and often fatal diseases, including lung cancer, asbestosis (a chronic lung condition), and mesothelioma, a rare but aggressive cancer affecting the lining of the lungs. The UN has emphasized that removing and handling the debris must be done under strict environmental and safety controls to prevent a new ecological and health disaster compounding Gaza’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.
A City of Rubble
The scale of destruction is staggering. The total volume of debris in Gaza is estimated at over 61 million tons an amount that makes the territory one of the most devastated areas in the world relative to its size. Environmental specialists caution that unregulated clearing or reconstruction efforts could release hazardous asbestos fibers into the air, contaminating soil, water, and homes, and endangering both cleanup workers and local residents.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals known for their remarkable resistance to heat, corrosion, and fire. For decades, asbestos was used worldwide in construction, insulation, textiles, and automotive parts such as brake pads. It was valued for its durability and low cost, until its deadly health impacts became irrefutable.
There are two main families of asbestos minerals: serpentine (which includes white asbestos, or chrysotile) and amphibole (which includes the blue asbestos crocidolite and the brown asbestos amosite). When materials containing asbestos are broken, cut, or destroyed as in war or demolition microscopic fibers are released into the air. These fibers can remain suspended for long periods and, once inhaled, can lodge in lung tissue for decades.
A Silent Health Crisis
Asbestos exposure is a slow, silent killer. Diseases linked to asbestos can take 20 to 40 years to appear after exposure. Workers who handle contaminated debris without proper protective gear are at the highest risk, but fibers can also spread through dust, affecting entire communities.
Medical researchers note that smoking dramatically increases the risk of asbestos-related lung cancer, and that even limited exposure can be dangerous. The World Health Organization has declared that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure.
A Call for Safe Reconstruction
UN officials and environmental experts are urging that any reconstruction plans in Gaza include comprehensive waste management strategies, specialized training for debris removal teams, and continuous monitoring of air quality. Without such measures, they warn, efforts to rebuild could unleash an invisible public health crisis that would persist for generations.
“The tragedy of Gaza must not be compounded by a toxic legacy of asbestos exposure,” one UN environmental advisor said. “Rebuilding must be safe not only structurally, but environmentally and medically.”
As the people of Gaza look toward recovery, the challenge will not only be to restore homes and infrastructure but also to protect the health of those who rebuild them.
