Gaza: Warnings of Collapse of Water and Sanitation Services Amid Fuel Crisis Escalation

SadaNews - Local government authorities in the Gaza Strip warned on Saturday of the risk of collapse of water and sanitation services, stressing that continued restrictions on the entry of fuel, operational and maintenance materials threaten to cause a widespread humanitarian, health, and environmental crisis in the coming period.

The Water Authority and Environmental Quality, along with the Union of Municipalities of the Gaza Strip, stated in a press release issued on the occasion of World Environment Day, that water and sanitation facilities are facing increasing operational difficulties due to the severe shortage of fuel, oils, spare parts, and equipment necessary for maintenance and rehabilitation.

The statement added that water facilities require continuous operation to provide more than 140,000 cubic meters of domestic water and drinking water daily for the over two million residents of the sector, especially with rising temperatures and increasing water needs during the summer season.

The statement indicated that sewage treatment plants and pumping facilities handle about 50,000 cubic meters of wastewater daily, warning that any malfunction of these facilities could lead to the accumulation of wastewater within cities, camps, and populated areas, along with the accompanying health and environmental risks.

The statement mentioned that the Sheikh Radwan pool in Gaza City receives more than 10,000 cubic meters of wastewater daily, noting that any disruption to the associated pumping station could result in rising levels of wastewater, exacerbating risks to nearby residential neighborhoods.

It also warned of the implications of the crisis on the health sector, explaining that several hospitals and medical facilities rely on desalination plants to provide the necessary water for treatment services, including dialysis and critical medical care.

The issuing authorities emphasized that the continued restrictions on the entry of operational and maintenance supplies and reconstruction materials for the water, sanitation, and energy sectors threaten the inhabitants' right to access safe water and basic services, calling on the United Nations, international institutions, and donor entities to intervene urgently to ensure the provision of fuel, equipment, and materials necessary for the continued operation of these facilities.

They also demanded the lifting of restrictions imposed on the entry of equipment and construction materials necessary to repair infrastructure, and to provide urgent and sustainable international support for the water and sanitation sectors, alongside initiating programs to rehabilitate the affected facilities.

This warning comes at a time when the Gaza Strip faces significant challenges in rehabilitating the infrastructure and basic services that suffered extensive damage during the war.

UN agencies and humanitarian organizations repeatedly affirm that the water and sanitation sectors are among the most affected, warning of the risks of disease spread and worsening health and environmental conditions if the shortage of fuel and operational and maintenance materials continues.