BEIRUT: Lebanon’s health minister says the country is on the brink of a “major health disaster” unless an immediate solution is found for the country’s trash.

Garbage has been piling up on streets in Lebanon for the past month amid government paralysis and inability to agree on a solution after Beirut’s main landfill was closed down.

Some residents have resorted to burning the trash on the street, sending toxic fumes over the city’s horizons and into people’s homes.

Health Minister Wael Abu Faour said Lebanon’s air, water and food were threatened with contamination and called for an emergency committee to come up with recommendations.

Political disputes have blocked the government from taking decisions, including agreeing on ways of dealing with the garbage crisis.