GAZA, (PIC)
Gaza Strip municipalities warned of an imminent collapse of the basic services system, in light of the continued siege and the Israeli prevention of the entry of fuel, heavy equipment, and spare parts, which exacerbates health and environmental crises and threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands of residents.
The head of the Gaza Municipalities Union, Yahya Al-Sarraj, said on Tuesday that the Strip is experiencing a suffocating situation as a result of the restrictions imposed on the entry of vital supplies, noting that what is allowed to enter is limited to very limited quantities of food, without the fuel and equipment necessary to operate water wells and electricity generators.
Paralysis in services and rapid deterioration
Al-Sarraj explained that the municipalities have become unable to operate basic facilities, such as water wells and sewage stations, due to the lack of fuel, oils, and spare parts, warning of the cessation of what remains of these facilities during the coming period.
He added that the crisis also affected the work of hospitals and health centers, as well as the inability of municipalities to collect waste, including hazardous medical waste, in light of the destruction of about 85% of municipality vehicles during the war.
He stressed that residents currently receive only about 40% of their water needs, with expectations that this percentage will decline during the summer season, as a result of reducing the operating hours of generators.
In light of the accumulation of waste and damage to sewage networks, the city witnessed a wide spread of rodents and insects, amid warnings of the outbreak of epidemics. Al-Sarraj revealed that cases of rat attacks on children while they were sleeping in displacement areas were recorded.
He noted that the municipalities are unable to implement effective control campaigns due to the lack of pesticides and necessary materials, stressing that the continuation of the current situation portends a health disaster that cannot be contained.
Extensive destruction of infrastructure
According to data from the Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza, the occupation army destroyed about 90% of the urban infrastructure, and more than 106,000 housing units completely, in addition to destroying hundreds of water wells and thousands of kilometers of electricity and water networks.
The GMO said in previous statements that Israel refuses to allow the entry of heavy equipment necessary to remove rubble and open roads, despite the urgent need for the work of civil defense teams.
It noted that the rate of fuel entry did not exceed 14% of the required quantities, at a time when the agreement stipulates the entry of 600 aid trucks daily, which was not adhered to.
In the same context, residents suffer from an acute shortage of cooking gas, as a single family only receives about eight kilograms for more than two months, which is a quantity that is only sufficient for a few weeks.
Warnings of a comprehensive disaster
Al-Sarraj indicated that the municipalities are currently working according to a “crisis management” policy, focusing on emergency interventions instead of development projects, after exhausting all temporary local solutions.
He explained that municipality teams continue to implement emergency repairs to water and sewage networks, open roads, and remove rubble, despite the lack of capabilities and funding, and the restrictions imposed on the entry of materials.
He pointed out that the water crisis is worsening with the destruction of about 85% of the main wells, and extensive damage to the distribution networks, in addition to the limited water coming through external lines, which prompted the municipalities to adopt harsh rationing schedules that may reach once every several days or weeks.
Al-Sarraj stressed that the continued closure of the crossings and the prevention of the entry of fuel and equipment will lead to a “complete collapse of the services system,” warning of a large-scale humanitarian, health, and environmental disaster.
He called on the international community to intervene urgently to bring in fuel and equipment, and provide the necessary support to enable municipalities to continue providing the minimum level of services, in light of the deteriorating living conditions experienced by hundreds of thousands of displaced people in tents that lack the most basic requirements of life.
