Unprecedented Water Crisis Hits Northern Gaza Amid Urgent Needs

The mayor of Jabalia, Mazen al-Najjar, confirmed that the destruction of main wells in the northern Gaza Strip has caused an unprecedented water crisis, prompting the municipality to adopt alternative means to provide water to residents and displaced people. The municipality operates 486 water pumps and 165 generators, has drilled 120 new wells, and transports over 300 cubic meters of desalinated water daily. It calls for urgent support to provide oils, operating materials, pipes, and small desalination plants.

The mayor of Jabalia, Mazen al-Najjar, confirmed that the destruction of main wells in the northern Gaza Strip, particularly those within the jurisdiction of the Jabalia-al-Nazla municipality, has caused an unprecedented water crisis, prompting the municipality to adopt alternative and exceptional means to provide water to residents and displaced people. Al-Najjar said that since the beginning of the crisis, the municipality has continued its efforts to address its repercussions by operating 486 water pumps in small private and public wells, in addition to drilling 120 new wells during periods of calm. He added that the municipality also operates 165 fixed and mobile generators to run water wells and serve the gatherings of residents and displaced people, which number over 161 camps and gatherings within the municipality's jurisdiction. He explained that the municipality has extended temporary water networks using pipes of various diameters, ranging from half an inch to two inches, to deliver water to tents and residential gatherings, along with providing barrels and tanks placed in gatherings for emergency use. Al-Najjar noted the transport of desalinated water by tankers to the most needy areas, exceeding 300 cubic meters daily. He stated that the continued provision of water services requires urgent support in several areas, most notably providing oils and operating materials for generators, given the significant rise in prices and difficulty in obtaining them due to the blockade. Needs also include providing pipes and water distribution networks, with the possibility of securing them from reliable local factories in the Gaza Strip, in addition to renting mobile generators, after a large number of the municipality's generators broke down due to a shortage of oils and operating materials. He highlighted the need to contribute to the costs of transporting desalinated water by tankers to camps and gatherings of displaced people, as well as purchasing and installing small water desalination plants to serve gatherings of displaced people and the most needy areas. Al-Najjar stressed the need to provide 2-inch diameter pipes for pumping sewage from the random absorption pits scattered among the tents, helping to reduce the risks of pollution and disease spread. He concluded by saying that the municipality is working with all its capabilities, but the scale of the crisis exceeds its capacities, making urgent and direct support necessary to continue providing water and protect residents and displaced people from a greater humanitarian and environmental catastrophe.