Press Release

 

Infant from Shabura Camp Dies after Falling into Sanitary Well

 

Ref: 92/99

Date: 26 September 1999

On Friday afternoon, 24 September 1999, Tehani Yousif Ibrahim Ghayad, who was less than a year old, died as a result of her fall into a sanitary well located in her house in Shabura Camp in Rafah City. At the time, her five brothers, ranging between three and thirteen years in age, were trying to fill the well with sand. Tehani was playing alongside them and fell into the well. According to PCHR’s Fieldwork Unit’s report, neighbours called the Civil Defense forces, the Red Cross ambulance and the police.

Despite efforts to break the concrete surrounding the entrance to the well (about 60cm by 60cm), the Civil Defense forces failed to rescue Tehani. This was partly a result of damage to the rescue equipment. Half an hour after she fell, Tehani was finally removed from the well by a neighbour who had managed to get inside the well. She was immediately transferred to Al Nasser hospital in Khan Younis where she was pronounced dead on arrival. A post mortem revealed that her death was due to inhaling poisonous gases.

Tehani Ghayad’s death is a tragic and grave warning of the probablity of further tragic consequences as long as many similar wells remain in homes throughout the camp. This situation requires the urgent intervention of both the Municipality of Rafah City and the UNRWA Services Office in the South. They must work together to ensure the safety of the children in Shabura camp.

Moreover the Municipality of Rafah must take responsibility for the continuation and completion of the project to connecting the camp to Rafah city’s sewage system. This project began in April 1995, and it must be completed without delay. Any delay in completing this project undermines infrastructure development in the city (including works for road networks). As long as the project remains incomplete the risk of the spread of disease, as well as of tragic accidents like this one, threatens the health and safety of the residents.

However, the poor infrastructure in Rafah city is not an exceptional case. Throughout the Gaza Strip, the problem of sanitary sewage is considered one of the most important challenges faced by citizens.

PCHR calls on all concerned parties to fulfil their obligations towards developing and improving the infrastructure services in the cities, villages and camps of Gaza Strip. Within this context PCHR calls on the Palestinian National Authority and UNRWA to take responsibility for securing the health and safety of the residents of the Gaza Strip, who suffer from miserable living conditions.

For more information contact:

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

Tel/Fax: (+) 972 7 282 4776/ 282 3725

E-mail: [email protected]