Palestinian sources are starting to report cases of Blue Baby Syndrome in Gaza. The disease is caused by high nitrogen level in the drinking water. The WHO maximum level allowed is 70 mg/lt but in many places, for example in our Sharon area, well water has concentrations over 90 mg/lt. The situation will improve when desalted seawater will be more widely available to dilute the nitrogen. In Gaza the nitrogen concentration is about the same as in the Coastal Strip of Israel, and they sufffer from the same kind of overexploitation and saline intrusion. The worst wells in Gaza are in the Khan Younis area:
No Well name and code Location Conc. NO3/ppm
1. Temwin K-41 Khan younis 300
2. UN camp K-L86a Khan younis Camp 50
3. Al Sada K-L87 Khan younis 311
4. Al Ahrash K-L127 Khan younis 346
5. Amel K-L159 Al Amal 380
6. Al Tebaha T44 Al Qurara 87
7. Al-N9 Absan Kibera 300
8. F2-N22 Absan Kibera 120
9. S-M2A Bani Sohila 240
10. S-M2B Bani Sohila 120
It is interesting that the UN managed well (number 2) has good quality water, while the Palestinian wells contain higher levels of nitrites. Obviously, part of the problem is management. Also the UN camp has sanitation: there is less sewage infiltration into the aquifer.
The problems of drinking water supply in Gaza are said to be related to Israel's actions. However, I think that Gaza's situation is not different from other Third World (North Africa) places, and the problems can be attributed to the chronic weakness of the governance. By continuously accusing Israel of being the cause of their difficulties, they have succeeded in blackmailing us to supply them our expensive desalted water - for free. That seems to be our historical fate: peoples see us as a magic source of riches and they manage to tax us.
6 comments:
Israel probably cannot refuse to supply water. But why should you give it away for free? Its sets up a perverse incentive. The Palestinians should be made to look after themselves. Make them choose between conflict and a decent life. The 'international commnunity' will of course damn Israel for this. But apart from the BBC and Aljazera no one else cares for them.
You are right Ivan, but they are a "protected species" and the world thinks we are responsible for their welfare. The world has developed institutions like the United Nations, the Hague Court of Justice and so on that are increasingly able to enforce decisions.
Water is the stuff of life, so no civilised people should fool around with it. Having said that, the EU, Japan and the US who supply much of the aid to Gaza have a responsibility to keep scolding the Gazans instead of handling them with kid gloves. Enough of them may then feel ashamed of cursing the Israelis while accepting their water.
Having said that, the EU, Japan and the US who supply much of the aid to Gaza have a responsibility to keep scolding the Gazans instead of handling them with kid gloves.
I sincerely doubt that any group of people that has developed a culture of parasitism is capable of being shamed straight. The best solution is to simply cut off aid and let them fend for themselves. Most will simply migrate to Egypt and look for work.
I sincerely doubt that any group of people that has developed a culture of parasitism is capable of being shamed straight.
In 1948, UNRRWA the United Nations Refugee Authority took responsability for the feeding, housing and schooling of the Palestinian Refugees. There were about 200,000 refugees and the same number of Egyptians, Lebanese, etc, who declared themselves Palestinians and entitled to the assistance. UNRWA's programs have been made eternal, and now here are more than two million descendents of the original UNRWA card-holdholers, many of them fourth and fifth generation. It is very difficult to wean off this large population born into a generous paternalistic system funded by the American taxpayer. Since 1948 there were millions of other refugees all over the world, the UNRWA helps but after a few years they are closed. The Palestinians have succeeded in turning themselves eternal refugees depending from foreign assistance and parasites. I think it is very bad for them too, they are used that other peoples care for them and they are unable to manage their own affairs.
J, I was thinking of America's domestic Black population when I made that comment. I estimate that Blacks and Palis have about the same IQ's, and both live off the dole. In fact, while I am flogging this subject I went to the wiki page for IQ and the Wealth of Nations and selected a bunch of countries with IQ's in the mid-80's. Listed below are the per capita incomes for these countries adjusted for purchasing power parity:
country (IQ) PPP-per-capita-income
Brazil (87) $10,455
Mexico (87) $14,534
Lebanon (86) $13,952
Philippines (86) $3,515
Iran (84) $11,202
Puerto Rico (84) $19,600
Egypt (83) $5,896
US Blacks (85): $17,447 source
This is US Black per capita income in California
Palestine GDP per capita (85?): $2,900
source
If the Palestinians were in their own territory somewhere else and they were included in a trade bloc they could have a national income approaching that of Mexico.
Most of the groups seem to cluster around $12-15k for an IQ of 85. I don't understand why the Philippines and Egypt both have such low per capita incomes though.
Iran's figure intrigues me.
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