Five decades ago, Jeddah's Al-Bukhariya District was one of the most developed areas of the city. Today, it is a shadow of its former glory with most of its original residents having deserted it a long time ago for newer pastures. The district now is inhabited mostly by the Afghan workers and craftsmen and has become a hub for stray animals and a safe haven for rodents and insects. Today's residents complain of persistent water shortage. With narrow alleys making the progress of water supply tankers near to impossible, the locals resort to bringing in water in large plastic vessels and containers to their homes. The other common complaint is about the proliferation of rodents that share their dwellings. Individual efforts to control the spread of this menace have apparently failed, increasing the probability of infectious diseases. Overflowing sewage drains near the entrance of the district is another health hazard especially as many of the neighborhood children suffer from respiratory diseases because of the highly polluted environment. The residents charge that although their district is connected to the main water network of Ain Al-Azizyia, water is released to their locality once every 40 days. “Thus on this day when water is pumped, all the families in the district wash their clothes and clean their houses.” Most of the residents in the neighborhood also complain about the poor condition of the roads arguing that while other parts of Jeddah are being developed, their locality is under continuous neglect by the concerned authorities. Some of the buildings are aging and could collapse any time. These buildings constitute a real threat to the residents, most of whom cannot afford to move to other areas. The residents also charge that the municipality cleaners have no interest about their district, and it is not unusual to see mounds of garbage everywhere, which in turn lure rodents and pests.
