Gaza Municipality to "Filastin": The city faces a services catastrophe and buildings are "time bombs"
The Mayor of Gaza, Dr. Yahya al-Sarraj, warned that the city's services have reached catastrophic levels, stating that the water, sanitation, waste collection, and road opening sectors are suffering near-total paralysis. He noted a drop in the per capita water share from 90 liters per day to 10 liters, and that hundreds of damaged buildings constitute "time bombs." He called for an end to the war and the opening of crossings.
The Mayor of Gaza, Dr. Yahya al-Sarraj, warned that the services situation in Gaza City has reached catastrophic levels, stressing that the water, sanitation, waste collection, and road opening sectors are suffering near-total paralysis, amid extensive damage to infrastructure. In an interview with the newspaper "Filastin" on Wednesday, al-Sarraj said that the water and sanitation file is "the most dangerous" for the lives of citizens, pointing to a decline in the per capita water share from about 90 liters per day to 10 liters at best. He explained that damage to pumping stations and water and sewage networks has increased the risk of wastewater leaking into streets or the seashore, with indications of water contamination in several local wells. He noted that the municipality currently relies on emergency solutions, while the city needs a comprehensive and extensive reconstruction process, noting that hundreds of structurally damaged buildings constitute "time bombs" threatening residents' lives. Al-Sarraj affirmed that the municipality's available capabilities are insufficient to deal with the damaged buildings file, urgently calling for the provision of heavy machinery and equipment for lifting and removal, structural reinforcement materials, and specialized rescue teams. He pointed out that the environment surrounding schools still suffers from the effects of massive destruction, stressing that the sustainability of the educational process requires continuous international and humanitarian support. The Mayor of Gaza called for an end to the genocide war and the full opening of crossings to allow the entry of necessary needs to deal with the deteriorating humanitarian and service conditions in the city.