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| Gloves and a protective mask litter the ground of the Lebanese capital Beirut, April 8. Photo: AFP / VNA / CVN |
The Lebanese photographer took more than 200 photos of these objects before combining his photos on Facebook into an album entitled Beirut invaders. From Baghdad to Gaza, masks and gloves are in high demand in the countries of the Middle East, whose populations hope thanks to them to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. But since the “invaders” are often disposable, they are then thrown away by their users, sometimes on the ground.
“The main concern is that this protective material can become a health problem by polluting the streets of Beirut “, alarmed Mr. Frangieh. The virus is mainly transmitted by droplets emitted by humans when they speak, sneeze or yawn, but can also survive on certain surfaces for several days, according to scientific studies. Those responsible for cleaning up the streets of the Lebanese capital from these “invaders” are therefore at risk of being contaminated by soiled masks and gloves, said Mr. Frangieh, whose country officially has 870 cases of COVID-19 disease and 26 deaths.
Polluted parking lots and beaches
In Saudi Arabia, where 40,000 cases have been identified by the authorities, some supermarkets force their customers to use disposable gloves. Once their races are over, the Saudis abandon them in the parking lot of the establishment and the hot desert wind strews them across the cities. But while pharmacies across the country face persistent shortages of masks and gloves, the debate continues about their true effectiveness.
For the World Health Organization (WHO), it is more useful to wash your hands regularly. And the American Center for Disease Prevention calls for wearing cloth masks instead, to leave their disposable version to caregivers and other workers on the front lines of the epidemic. In the Palestinian enclave of Gaza under Israeli blockade, the beach, usually already heavily polluted, is now also strewn with “invaders”.
In a gust of wind, they end up in the sea. Not recyclable, they will take years to dissolve in the water and risk by then endangering the flora and fauna of the sea. Some traders and passers-by have taken the initiative to collect them and throw them in dumpsters, like Lina Ouda, who came for a walk on the beach with her husband. “I noticed that there were masks and gloves on the floor on the ledge and I put them in the trash because it pollutes the beach“, explains the 30-year-old woman.
“There is no general education about cleaning up beaches in Gaza, but some people do“of themselves, adds her husband, Jamal Ouda. But”many others walk around wearing masks and gloves and (at the end of their walk) throw them on the ground “, he laments.
AFP / VNA / CVN
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