On 6 September some limestone cliffs in Cairo collapsed, killing some 100 residents of Dweiqa shantytown at the foot of the cliffs.
Almost two months on, the shantytown’s residents say their plight is being ignored: There has been little effective health care and no chance of resettlement to safer residential areas.
“We, the residents of Qama’in Street, are one of the most severely affected by the disaster. Why hasn’t the government moved us to better housing?” asked al Harbi, a local resident.
Residents of al-Qama’in Street, a main road at the foot of the collapsed Muqattam cliffs in Ezbet Bekhiet, have a number of health problems.
Most have respiratory illnesses due to high levels of indoor humidity as sewage flowing from the cliffs soaks the walls and ceilings of their homes.
“The rotten stench is unbearable. We are unable to breathe normally and many of our homes don’t have proper ventilation. Many of our children and elders suffer from regular respiratory attacks. The air here is very bad,” Abu Salamah, a local resident, told IRIN.
The wife of Abu Salamah, Saniya Ibrahim, and seven of her 10 children suffer from regular asthma attacks. Their only recourse has been expensive respiratory puffs prescribed by doctors at the Manshiet Nasser health centre.
After the disaster, anger amongst residents mounted and there were clashes with security forces.
As there is no sewage system in Dweiqa, residents simply throw their sewage into wells dug into the side of the limestone mountain. The walls of Sanyia Ibrahim’s two-room home are soaked with sewage run-off. She covers them in a vain attempt to block the stench.
 Photo: Marwa Awad/IRIN  |
| Osman has been hospitalised with a severe throat infection because of the indoor humidity |
“A high rate of moisture input in a closed area with no ventilation is bound to create an unhealthy environment. The resulting air quality will definitely lead to breathing problems,” said Ahmed Kamal, director of the al Howd al-Marsud hospital in Cairo.
Controlling moisture sources within closed areas is the only way to eliminate high humidity and condensation. However, this is an impossible task since the source of the moisture is the sewage running from the soaked cliffs.
The Manshiet Nasser health centre has put the number of respiratory cases at 92. But residents say the number is much higher.
“Here in Qama’in Street, there are 250 families; each family has a high rate of health problems. Our numbers are always on the rise, whether it is the dead, or the ailing or those with emergency conditions. The only solution is to resettle. We have registered our names and done countless follow-ups in Manshiet Nasser District since Ramadan, but to no avail,” said Muhammad Ramadan, a 52-year-old calligrapher.
The Ministry of Health and Housing (MoHH) said it is working closely with health centres and hospitals to find speedy solutions to the health problems in the area.
However, a number of NGOs said the government is indifferent. “Al Qama’in Street is not the only street with such pathetic health conditions,” said Manal Tiba, head of the Egyptian Centre for Housing Rights. “Other areas around the disaster site have not been evacuated. Because of the sewage, many homes have become breeding grounds for insects of all sizes.”
Apart from breathing problems, skin rashes have resulted from the accumulating debris and the growing number of stray cats and dogs. Residents said the strays feed off of the rubbish dump surrounding the area.
“There are still dead bodies under the rubble; no one knows what these stray animals are eating out there,” said one resident. Residents are unable to keep the cats away from their bedrooms and food.
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on 25 September, the devastating rockslide left 98 dead and 72 injured. With bodies still being recovered, residents of the area believe the death toll to be far higher.
 Photo: Marwa Awad/IRIN |
| Health conditions worsen every day for people living among the rubble of the 6 September rockslide |
The number of traumatised residents has been rising: Those trapped at the disaster scene fear another cliff collapse, observers say. Children are the most affected, fearing to sleep alone and rushing out of the house at the slightest disturbance.
“We are living a nightmare. We are all very afraid of another collapse. My children are always frightened by any noise; they jump and run if the slightest bang or shake is heard,” said Wafaa Shehata, a mother of six.
Fathi Muhiy is another resident with similar problems. “We remain in the place of our worst memories. This is where we lost family members and friends. Keeping us out here is `haram’ [forbidden]. It is killing us.”
Psychologist Nabil Abdelnour said if someone undergoes a traumatic experience, it is best to move them away from where they experienced the trauma. “The change of scene allows for the ability to overcome the experience,” Abdelnour said.
However, relocation has proven a complex issue in the case of Dweiqa.
Asked about the delays in resettlement, MoHH officials alluded to scams.
"There are those who managed to get public housing in new apartment compounds and then rented them out, and returned to live in their shantytowns. For some, it has become a kind of business. The government must therefore take the time to double check all documents and housing permits before granting more apartments to residents," said a public housing official at the MoHH.
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This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
