Go Network organizes a dialogue episode on municipalities preparations for summer season

Go Network organized a live dialogue episode with multiple municipalities in the Gaza Strip discussing their preparations for summer season on Gaza’s beach and the followed procedures in 2022.

The episode hosted Dr. Atef Alsultan, the Health and Environment Officer at Beir Lahia Municipality; Mr. Abdelrahman Humaid, Head of the Gaza Strip Waterfront Section and Mr. Sari Altawashi, the Head of Hygiene and Health Department at Deir Albalah Municipality.

During the episode, interviews with holidaymakers were shown at the beachfront, and several stalls in the city of Gaza Corniche, where they were surveyed on the role and procedures of the municipality and its suitability for the citizens and the stakeholder in the place.

Many citizens stressed the importance of the actions of the Gaza Municipality in the Cornish region, which sought to make the sea landscape better visible to citizens than before, but many criticized the Municipality’s role in the lack of suitable public spaces for citizens, without fees and recourse to seaside cafes.

Booths’ owners, however, criticized the municipality’s actions, which they said were not based on compensation for any damage caused by the recent relocation and improvements, which have been developed on the waterfront since 2021.

The Gaza Municipality has been preparing for the 2022 season since the end of last year, said Eng Hamid, explaining that the municipality had downgraded the sea stalls, relocating them to the first attribute, in response to complaints from citizens.

Hamid said: “This process continues to unload the entire first attribute, turning into a walkway and a place for holidaymakers, confirming the restructuring and placement of some maritime rescue towers, where 3 towers have been moved and repositioned, and it has also” reduced traffic congestion on Rashid Street, through the establishment of a seaside parking lot, a first step of its kind. “

Dr. Al-Sultan said that the current season is an exceptional situation for the municipality of Beit Lahia, where a major project is being carried out to build the corniche and the waterfront, stating that “this needs to intervene outside the strategic plan developed by the municipality.”

Al-Sultan added that “the beach and its organization in Beit Lahia depends on three factors, citizen holidaymakers, booths renters, and the municipality, which is the service provider” “This season we worked on a contingency plan.” and that “there were ideas for the instalments of permanent booths for 5 years, and to reduce the stalls that hinder movement on Rashid Street”.

In a connected context, Eng. Altawashi said that “the Municipality of Deir al-Balah campaigned through community participation, fully cleaning the city’s beach “, and “paved Rashid Street by maintaining the potholes on the street.”

He added that “indiscriminate dumps on Rashid Street have been removed, the street has been improved and all obstacles removed,” adding: “Municipal crews are expanding the entrance to Deir al-Balah from the north, since the place is primarily a private one for citizens, and the work of street vendors is constantly organized, on the seaside.”

The recommendations stated that the relationship must be a friendly and sustainable between the beach and Corniche actors and the municipality, while participants from different parties stressed the need to constantly attract ideas and consult with municipalities.

The participants stressed the need to pay attention to citizens’ requests and wishes and to take their views permanently, stressing the continuing endeavour of municipalities to provide all appropriate services to citizens at the seaside, as well as to reassure citizens, both holidaymakers and booth owners, that the municipality of Beit Lahia is working to make the season as successful as possible.

This episode was part of GO – A DIGITAL INTERACTIVE YOUTH COMMUNITY FOR BETTER LGUS’ SERVICES project, which is funded by the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ) and implemented by the Social Development Forum.