SAFA — Nabil Al-Salhi, head of Nuseirat Municipality in central Gaza, said nearly three years of Israel’s genocidal war have severely depleted the municipality’s resources and capacity, as widespread destruction of roads, water and sewage networks, and municipal facilities coincides with growing humanitarian needs.

Speaking to Felesteen newspaper, Al-Salhi said the municipality is no longer focused solely on providing daily services but is also struggling to address widespread destruction and respond to continuing emergencies.

Among the most serious challenges are shortages of fuel, lubricants, spare parts, vehicles and equipment, alongside damaged infrastructure and difficulties accessing some areas.

Despite these conditions, municipal crews continue working to maintain minimum essential services, including water supply, sanitation, sewage services, road access and rubble removal.

Managing the Crisis

Al-Salhi said the municipality now operates more as a crisis-management and emergency-response body than a traditional municipal authority, with priorities changing daily according to residents’ most urgent health and humanitarian needs.

Water remains one of the most serious challenges. Unable to meet residents’ full needs, the municipality distributes the minimum available supply according to schedules that change depending on available resources.

Al-Salhi said Nuseirat’s water system includes 36 operational wells, but shortages of fuel and lubricants forced six wells to shut down completely in May. Another six vital wells have been destroyed during the war, while around 4,250 metres of water pipelines have been damaged, along with desalination facilities and power generators.

The municipality urgently needs fuel, lubricants and spare parts, as well as support to rehabilitate damaged wells and develop additional water sources to increase pumping hours and improve distribution.

Mounting Waste Crisis

Waste accumulation has also become a major health and environmental threat as Nuseirat’s population has grown with the arrival of displaced Palestinians.

Al-Salhi said tens of thousands of tonnes of waste accumulated in streets and around displacement shelters during the early stages of the war, forcing municipal crews to prioritise densely populated areas and locations posing the greatest public health risks.

The municipality continues operating its remaining vehicles for as long as possible, but damage to equipment and severe shortages of fuel, lubricants and spare parts have significantly limited its capacity.

Al-Salhi said waste collection trucks, dump trucks and heavy equipment are urgently needed to prevent the crisis from worsening.

Financial Resources Depleted

The war has also severely damaged the municipality’s finances. Revenues have fallen sharply while the costs of fuel, maintenance and repairs to vehicles, water networks and sewage systems have risen dramatically.

The municipality also faces obligations to employees and suppliers while struggling to cover energy, maintenance and operational costs.

Al-Salhi said staff salaries are being prioritised according to available resources, particularly for field workers who continue providing essential services under extremely difficult conditions.

With spare parts increasingly difficult to obtain, municipal crews are repeatedly repairing damaged vehicles and equipment to keep them operating for as long as possible.

Al-Salhi stressed that Nuseirat Municipality cannot shoulder these financial and operational burdens alone and requires urgent and sustained assistance to prevent further deterioration in essential services.

Five Urgent Needs

Al-Salhi identified five priority areas requiring immediate support: water, sanitation, sewage services, vehicles and equipment, and infrastructure rehabilitation.

The municipality needs fuel, lubricants and spare parts to operate wells and vehicles; assistance to repair damaged water and sewage networks; waste collection and transport vehicles; road rehabilitation; and financial support for municipal workers and essential operations.

Al-Salhi appealed to international and local organisations and donors to recognize that supporting Gaza’s municipalities means directly protecting people’s lives, health and dignity.

He stressed that Nuseirat is not seeking non-essential development projects but the basic resources required to provide water, collect waste, reopen roads, operate sewage networks and keep municipal crews working.

Al-Salhi called for sustained assistance rather than temporary emergency interventions, warning that the scale of destruction and humanitarian need now far exceeds what Gaza’s municipalities can address with their remaining resources.