14-07-2025
Fuel Blockade Deepens Gaza's Water Crisis
DaysofPal – Gaza's water crisis has reached a breaking point, as Israel's months-long fuel blockade continues to cripple the enclave's already-devastated infrastructure. Since the full halt of fuel deliveries on March 2, nearly all desalination plants, wastewater treatment facilities, and water pumping stations have shut down, leaving millions with little to no access to clean water.
The impact on daily life is devastating. Families, many of them with children, are spending hours under the scorching summer sun searching for just a few liters of water. For many, even drinking water is becoming a rare commodity.
'We're on the verge of death,' said Asem Alnabih, spokesperson for Gaza's municipality. 'Water can reach only 50 percent of the city,' he told Al Jazeera yesterday. Out of more than 70 municipal water wells, only 12 remain in operation.
The crisis is felt deeply in every corner of life. Aya Fayoumi, a displaced Palestinian, described the grim conditions her family faces: 'There's never any water in the toilets. There's barely enough drinking water. So we have nothing left for personal hygiene or to wash clothes.'
The International Rescue Committee reports that most people in Gaza are now receiving far less than the World Health Organization's emergency minimum of 15 liters per person per day—a threshold meant to cover drinking, cooking, and basic sanitation.
With fuel barred from entry and water systems collapsing, Gaza's population is being pushed further into an unfolding humanitarian disaster—one where survival itself is now tied to each drop of water.
