Store owners and neighbors in Al-Khumrah have raised their voices to protest the dire environmental situation they face in the area, because of accumulating waste that closed down many streets and dead animals dumped on the sidewalks.

Sultan Al-Maliki, a store owner in Al-Khumrah, said the situation is worrying, as the level of pollution is affecting local businesses.

“We as owners and businessmen, suffer the consequences of the lack of action from the relevant authorities,” Al-Maliki complained.

Mahmoud Sabri, a local worker, explained that the situation is becoming so desperate that sometimes anonymous people set fire to the waste on the streets, increasing the foul smells.

Another neighbor claimed that the dirt piles are thrown on main roads, which are blocked most of the time because of the mile-high trash heaps. Hamdi Ali, security guard in a warehouse, said the matter has surpassed the lack of services and maintenance, since the area has become a playground for thieves due to the absence of police officers or security forces nearby.

Official spokesman for Makkah police, Lt. Col. Dr Ati bin Atiyah Al-Qurashi said security authorities are following up on all security issues in the governorate. He pointed out that security patrols are deployed in parts of the province to prevent any violations, while all calls are dealt with quickly, anywhere in the region.

President of the Municipal Council in Jeddah, Dr Abdulmalik Al-Junaidi, stressed his commitment with the neighbors’ plight at Al-Khumrah.

“We monitored the hygiene issues there and documented them, and we are waiting for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in cooperation with the municipality to devise a plan or come up with a system to clear this waste, which threatens to cause an environmental disaster in the area.”