Assessment of Environment in the Reform and Rehabilitation Centers in Gaza Strip

Abstract

The Reform and Rehabilitation centers RRC play a major role in the society, so it should be safe and appropriate in terms of health, living and environmental conditions. This study aims to evaluate the health, living and environmental conditions in the RRC in Gaza Strip. The evaluation implemented by using many tools like questionnaires, water tests, checking the air quality, measuring the level of noise and lighting intensity and evaluating the constructional status for each prison. According to data result analysis, 60% of the RRC buildings were designed for other purposes, but the government use them as RRC. The design of these buildings has inappropriate construction as well as inappropriate health status. This is because the ventilation is inadequate and is not exposed to sunlight. And 40% of the RRC buildings are old buildings. Because of security situation in RRC the natural lighting and ventilation in the RRC is insufficient, 60% of the RRC suffers from inadequate lighting and ventilation because of the siege and the weakness of supplies and resources of the government of Gaza. The continuous cut of the electric current leads to a weak light and ventilation. The recorded values of relative humidity, temperature, and noise levels in all the RRC are higher than the recommended standards. The high parameters values may be caused due to many factors like: high density of detainees’ number, bad ventilation, the presence of bathrooms and the food cooking inside the cell. There is a leakage of water from the ceiling because of using it to clean the floor of the cell. Also, water is used in toilets all the time. So that, water passes down the tiles and sand saturated with it, then the water come down from the weakest point in the ceiling. In 60% of RRC, the sewage is run by gravity, while 40% of them depends on pumps. So, these RRC suffer of sewage overflow because the pumps sometimes stop working. This stopping is caused by many reasons such as, the continuous cut of the electric current, the damage of the pumps and the shortage of the periodic maintenance. According to the study, 62% 0f the sleeping places are suitable, while 38% of them are not. This is because of many factors such as, the little beds, covers and so on. In general, Gaza's RRCs suffer from several problems as: Congestion, the lack of regular maintenance in all the facilities, the shortage of the food quantity, and the lack of the hygiene materials. The main reason of all these problems is the lack of financial resources due to the siege. So, the government should find solutions and alternatives to resolve the problem of the financial resources.