Health officials in the city have also called on residents to take precautions against dengue fever and many people have been visiting hospitals and clinics to get vaccinated.
Hind Al-Arifi, a Syrian who lives in the city’s Um Al-Qura Street, used to take breakfast with neighbors on a balcony adjoining her apartment everyday. Now she does not because of the bad smells following Wednesday’s rains.
“There are insects everywhere. This has forced me to close the balcony and keep all windows closed because mosquitoes might come in,” she said.
Meanwhile, many residents of the city’s Al-Samer district, which was badly flooded, have decided to move to other parts of Jeddah fearing pollution and dengue fever.
“This is the second time our area has been affected by rain,” said Khawla Shaher, a Jordanian resident of the area.
“Last year, we suffered the same problem, but we heard that it won’t happen again because the municipality had received a budget to prevent flash floods. Now that it has happened again, we’ve decided to live elsewhere,” she added.
Nahla Saleh, a Saudi mother of three, said she is not going out for picnics this month to avoid getting bitten by insects.
“We suffer the same problem every year. There are insects everywhere. How do we protect ourselves? The only solution is to sit at home and never go out. I’ve banned my children from playing football in the street and told my husband that we won’t be going for picnics now,” she said.
Experts have warned of a possible outbreak of dengue fever and other water-borne diseases due to stagnant water left by last week’s rains and floods.
“There are many puddles and pools of water in Jeddah. Such puddles will definitely attract disease-carrying mosquitoes and insects,” said Dr. Sami Badawood, director of the Jeddah Health Affairs Department.
“This year, there is a 100 percent chance of getting sick because of insects and dirty water. Families should be aware of the danger that they will face over the next few days,” he added.
According to Badawood, stagnant water poses serious environmental problems and is a perfect breeding ground for dengue-carrying mosquitoes. He added that water can also lead to people developing skin and respiratory diseases.
Badawood urged residents not to allow their children to play in stagnant water, which is often polluted with raw sewage from septic tanks.
“Residents should be aware of the danger. Last year, it was a problem but this year it is a catastrophe,” said Badawood.
“The Jeddah Health Affairs Department has sent 45 medical teams to visit homes and raise awareness among people,” he said.
