Alaa al-Batta, Vice President of the Union of Municipalities in the Gaza Strip (a non-governmental union), stated that the Strip is facing unprecedented challenges that threaten the lives of its residents due to the extensive damage inflicted on vital infrastructure by the Israeli war.
In a press statement on Friday, al-Batta said that the occupation destroyed approximately 700 water wells during the offensive, reducing the daily per capita share of water from 90 liters to only about 15 liters, which portends a severe water crisis.
He emphasized that municipalities are suffering from a significant deficit in providing basic services, primarily water, sanitation, and waste collection, due to fuel shortages and a lack of equipment, which limits their ability to intervene in the catastrophic situation.
Al-Batta called for urgent action from international and humanitarian organizations to provide fuel and equipment and to open the crossings to allow the entry of essential supplies needed to restore a minimum level of services to the affected population.
