Gazze’de güvenli içme suyuna erişim zorlukları ve bunun anne ve çocuk sağlığı üzerindeki etkisi

Yıl 2024, Cilt: 29 Sayı: Special Issue on Gaza, 52 - 65, 28.12.2024

Iman Farajallah , Hanan Farajallah

https://doi.org/10.21673/anadoluklin.1575390

Öz

Güvenli içme suyuna erişim, özellikle savaş bölgelerinde kritik bir halk sağlığı sorunudur. Gazze’de siyasi istikrarsızlık, altyapı yıkımı ve ekonomik ambargo nedeniyle ciddi bir su krizi yaşanmaktadır. Bu makale, Gazze halkının temiz suya erişimde karşılaştığı zorlukları ve su kıtlığının anne ve çocuk sağlığı üzerindeki etkilerini incelemektedir. Gazze’nin ana su kaynağı olan kıyı akiferinin kirlenmesi ve yetersiz sanitasyon altyapısı, ishal, kolera ve tifo gibi su kaynaklı hastalıkların yayılmasına neden olmuştur. Bu hastalıklar özellikle hamile kadınları ve çocukları orantısız bir şekilde etkilemektedir. Hamile kadınlar için su güvensizliği, dehidrasyon, yetersiz beslenme ve enfeksiyon riskini artırarak erken doğum ve düşük doğum ağırlığı gibi olumsuz gebelik sonuçlarına yol açmaktadır. Çocuklar da benzer şekilde savunmasızdır; güvensiz su tüketimi, ishal hastalıkları ve yetersiz beslenme nedeniyle yüksek morbidite ve mortalite oranlarına neden olmaktadır. Bu makale ayrıca su güvensizliğinin anne ve çocukların ruh sağlığı üzerindeki psikososyal etkilerine de dikkat çekmektedir. Uluslararası insani yardım çabalarına rağmen, siyasi ve lojistik engeller nedeniyle sürdürülebilir çözümler hâlâ bulunamamıştır. Çalışma, Gazze’de hem kısa vadeli su ihtiyaçlarını hem de uzun vadeli altyapı sorunlarını ele alan kapsamlı müdahalelere acil ihtiyaç olduğunu vurgulamakta ve anne ile çocuk sağlığı sonuçlarını iyileştirmek için öneriler sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Anne, çocuk, Gazze şeridi, insan hakları ihlalleri, ruh sağlığı, savaş, su

Challenges in access to safe drinking water and its impact on maternal and child health in Gaza

Öz

Access to safe drinking water is a critical public health issue, particularly in war-affected regions like Gaza, where political instability, infrastructure destruction, and economic blockade have led to a severe water crisis. This paper explores the challenges faced by the population of Gaza in accessing clean water and examines the impact of water scarcity on maternal and child health. The contamination of Gaza’s primary water source, the coastal aquifer, combined with inadequate sanitation infrastructure, has resulted in widespread waterborne diseases, such as diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid, which disproportionately affect pregnant women and children. For pregnant women, water insecurity increases the risk of dehydration, malnutrition, and infection, contributing to poor pregnancy outcomes such as preterm labor and low birth weight. Children are similarly vulnerable, with unsafe water consumption leading to high rates of morbidity and mortality due to diarrheal diseases and malnutrition. This paper also highlights the psychosocial impacts of water insecurity on maternal and child mental health. Despite international humanitarian efforts, sustainable solutions remain elusive due to political and logistical barriers. The study underscores the urgent need for comprehensive interventions that address both the short-term water needs and long-term infrastructure challenges in Gaza to improve maternal and child health outcomes.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Child, Gaza strip, human rights abuses, maternal, mental health, war, water

Kaynakça

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