Compared to other countries in the Middle East and North Africa, water supply and sanitation in the Palestinian territories is characterized by severe water shortage, which is exacerbated by the effects of Israeli occupation. According to the WaSH Monitoring Programme, Israelis use 85% of the water available from the mountain aquifer in the West Bank, and 82% of the water from the coastal aquifer under Gaza.Generally, the availability and quality of services is considerably worse in the Gaza strip when compared to the West Bank. A 2008 survey shows that 64% of households in the West Bank consider the water quality to be good, while the share in the Gaza Strip is only 14%. The lasting blockade of the Gaza Strip and the 2008-2009 Israel-Gaza conflict have caused severe damage of the infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.