The mayor told Al-Jazeera Net: Deir al-Balah is groaning under the burden of displacement

The mayor of Deir al-Balah, Nizar Ayash, stated that the center of the Gaza Strip is completely overcrowded, and there are no available spaces to set up new tents. He added that the infrastructure is completely dilapidated, and the desalination plant needs large quantities of fuel to provide limited amounts of water.

Ayash pointed out that what is happening in Deir al-Balah applies to other areas of the central governorate. He continued that "the coastal area is overcrowded with displaced people, while the eastern area is subjected to ongoing military operations, making it unsafe."

Ayash warned of a humanitarian and environmental disaster due to the continued military pressure and displacement, which threatens a complete collapse of all life components, calling for urgent international action to protect civilians and infrastructure and to stop the aggression immediately.

The situation in Deir al-Balah is catastrophic by all measures, as the city is completely overcrowded with residents, and there is no longer any space to set up new tents or accommodate more displaced people.

The streets and public facilities have turned into temporary living spaces, and people are sleeping on the ground without any means for life. With the return of waves of displacement, Deir al-Balah has become a suffocated area under the weight of the increasing number of families, and with it, the humanitarian suffering is worsening day by day.

The challenges are multiple and intertwined, the most prominent of which are the lack of privacy and the absence of adequate shelter, in addition to the acute shortage of potable water, the lack of public hygiene, and the accumulation of waste, which threatens the spread of diseases and epidemics.

Families are also suffering from a lack of food and medicine, and the exacerbation of psychological problems, especially among children and women due to the continuous pressure and living in inhumane conditions.

The infrastructure in Deir al-Balah is largely dilapidated, as the destruction has affected water, electricity, sewage networks, and roads, especially in the eastern and southern areas that were invaded and completely destroyed by the Israeli army.

We need large quantities of fuel (diesel) to operate the sewage treatment plant, remove waste, and operate water wells. Additionally, citizens' encroachments on the main water network have hindered our ability to deliver it as needed.

With the availability of diesel and the resumption of operation of the central seawater desalination plant south of Deir al-Balah via the Israeli 24 line, the deficit has decreased from 70% to 30%, allowing for the provision of 10,000 cups of potable water daily in Deir al-Balah, but this is insufficient due to the increasing number of displaced people.

We have 22 water wells, and two out of four tanks with a capacity of 4,000 cups, all of which are operational and need 2,000 liters of diesel daily to produce 15,000 cups of water daily, and to deliver water to homes twice a week.

The reflection is very serious; citizens receive limited quantities that are not enough for drinking or daily uses. Many families resort to buying water from unverified sources, which threatens the spread of diseases.

Repeated waves of displacement have caused suffocating health and environmental crises, the most prominent of which is the accumulation of waste in the streets, and the blockage of sewage networks or their breakdown.

Yes, we have observed an increase in cases of diarrhea and intestinal poisoning among children, in addition to skin diseases such as scabies due to overcrowding.

The municipality's capabilities are almost nonexistent; the cleaning teams work with very limited tools, but the volume of waste exceeds our capacity.

Today, the city has become overcrowded in an unprecedented manner due to waves of displacement, and with the lack of services and the collapse of infrastructure, suffering is escalating.

The military operations make the entire area unsafe; many families have been forced to flee repeatedly due to shelling and clashes.

If the situation continues, we are facing a complete collapse and an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, as the city is no longer able to accommodate more displaced people.