“I have to admit that our neighborhood was not dirt free before the floods, but it was livable and we tolerated it. Now our streets are muddy and disgusting,” said Gamar Mohammed, a 58-year-old Somali who lives in Jeddah’s downtown Balad district.

“Our building was damaged and it’s ready to fall apart. We remain here because of our financial circumstances. Local people have placed pieces of wood on the ground so we can step on them when leaving our homes,” she added.

A mountain of garbage lies at a street corner in the Hindawiyya district.

“People living in the neighborhood have tried to contact the municipality to get them to collect the trash but there has been no response. As a result, we’re forced to let the mountain grow more and more,” said Abdul-Lateef, an 80-year-old retired teacher.

“I used to enjoy sitting in front of my house along with my friends after Maghreb prayer, but now we can’t because of the bad smell and the trash everywhere,” he added.

Many residents are also noticing an influx of rats and other insects in their homes.

“Ever since the floods, I’ve been discovering new creatures that crawl on my floors and ceilings. I blame the dirty streets we live in. There are many kinds of filth and garbage on the street,” said Mariam Abdullah, a 32-year-old Eritrean maid.

“My little boys went out on to the street to play football and when they came back, they had a dead  rat in their hands. They said there are loads of them around. I’m not educated but I know that dead rats are not good and that they could lead to diseases and other health issues,” she added.