Jabalia al-Nazla Municipality Warns of Winter Disaster and Calls for Operation of al-Saftawi Pump

The Jabalia al-Nazla municipality has issued an urgent distress call to international organizations and relevant authorities, demanding rapid intervention to operate the al-Saftawi basin pump, which has become the largest rainwater and sewage collection pond in the northern Gaza Strip, warning of a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe with the onset of winter. The head of the Jabalia al-Nazla municipality, engineer Mazen al-Najjar, stated during an inspection tour of the area that the destruction of infrastructure and the 'Abu Rashid' pond, which was one of the largest rainwater collection ponds, forced the municipality to temporarily divert rainwater and sewage to the al-Saftawi basin. Al-Najjar explained that the basin receives water from wide areas including Jabalia al-Nazla and al-Saftawi, in addition to water from the Bir al-Na'ja area in Jabalia camp and the Aslan area in Beit Lahia. He warned that the cessation of pumping operations and the accumulation of stagnant water in the basin pose a direct threat to the lives of thousands of citizens and displaced persons, especially those living in tents and damaged homes, noting that heavy rainfall could flood surrounding areas and lead to a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe. He clarified that operating the pump requires providing a 200 KVA generator to pump accumulated water and mitigate the risks of rising water levels. The mayor called on international and humanitarian organizations, foremost among them UNICEF, the Palestinian Water Authority, and the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility, to urgently intervene and provide the generator and necessary supplies to operate the pump, to avoid worsening conditions with the start of the rainy season. The municipality stressed that an urgent response to this call is necessary to protect residents and displaced persons and reduce the risks of flooding, water contamination, and the spread of epidemics in affected areas.