Gaza municipalities call for help to meet citizens' needs

Gaza municipalities call for help to meet citizens’ needs, on 31 January 2023 [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Gaza municipalities call for help to meet citizens’ needs, on 31 January 2023 [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Gaza municipalities call for help to meet citizens’ needs, on 31 January 2023 [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Gaza municipalities call for help to meet citizens’ needs, on 31 January 2023 [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Gaza municipalities call for help to meet citizens’ needs, on 31 January 2023 [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Gaza municipalities call for help to meet citizens’ needs, on 31 January 2023 [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Gaza municipalities call for help to meet citizens’ needs, on 31 January 2023 [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Municipalities across the Gaza Strip have worked hard over the past 16 years to provide for residents in spite of the restrictions imposed on them by the occupation’s siege, however they are now struggling to do so and urge the international community to help, a statement issued by the Union of Gaza Strip Municipalities today said.

“Over the past years, Gaza Strip Municipalities have been struggling and trying to spare no effort to maintain the people’s living conditions by innovating new alternatives to keep providing the citizens with the municipal services, even at a minimum.”

“Hereby, the Union of Gaza Strip Municipalities is urgently calling on the international community, international and humanitarian organizations, and all parties concerned to intervene to help the municipalities provide the basic services to the citizens, such as water supply, infrastructure repair and development among other emergency functions,” the union added.

Highlighting that structures have not been rebuilt after Israel’s deadly strikes on the Strip in May 2021, the union said $50 million is needed after homes, streets, water and wastewater networks were fully damaged.

It stressed that its members will “assure that we will not give up and will do our best in order to serve the Palestinian people and ensure the provision of basic services” in spite of the situation becoming “seriously complicated in light of the scarcity of funds, electricity frequent cut-offs, bad financial situation and the shortage of fuel required to operate municipal vehicles and service stations.”

READ: UNRWA Gaza employees strike in protest at recruitment issues