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Days of Palestine
a day ago
- Business
- Days of Palestine
Soaring temperatures and blockade drive Gaza toward water collapse
DaysofPal- The Gaza Municipality has issued an urgent warning about an intensifying water crisis that threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands in the city, as summer temperatures soar and demand rises among both residents and displaced families. In a statement posted Sunday on its official X account, the municipality described the conditions as catastrophic, attributing the crisis to the near-total destruction of Gaza's water infrastructure by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) since October 7, 2023. According to the municipality, nearly 75% of Gaza's water wells have been destroyed, while the few that remain are barely functional due to a crippling fuel shortage. The situation has been further exacerbated by Israel's repeated suspension of water pumping through the Israeli national water company Mekorot. These disruptions have left entire neighborhoods in Gaza parched and dangerously underserved, raising fears of a looming health and environmental disaster. 'The current supply is drastically below the city's basic needs, putting tens of thousands of lives at risk,' the municipality stated. Gaza currently receives only around 35,000 cups of water daily, less than a third of the 120,000 cups supplied before the war. Of this, roughly 20,000 cups are sourced from Mekorot, and just 15,000 from municipal wells, which are limited to a few hours of operation per day due to the fuel and electricity crisis. A marginal amount is also extracted from private wells, though access is minimal. Municipal officials have urgently appealed to humanitarian agencies to intervene by supplying emergency fuel, rehabilitating damaged infrastructure, and helping restore water access. Over the past 20 months, Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have destroyed large portions of Gaza's water infrastructure, including pipelines, desalination plants, and distribution networks. The Palestinian Water Authority and health officials say the damage has rendered access to clean, safe drinking water 'almost impossible.' Before the war, Gaza's per capita water consumption was about 84.6 liters per day; now, it is between 3 and 5 liters, far less than the WHO's emergency minimum of 20 liters per day. 'Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has executed all aspects of life,' said Ayman al-Ramlawi, Director of the Department of Environmental Health and Occupational Safety at the Ministry of Health in Gaza. 'The water and sanitation sector is one of the most prominent sectors affected by the war, especially as it is directly related to the reality of public health in the Gaza Strip.' The Water Authority echoed these concerns in a recent statement: 'The occupation's destruction of infrastructure, electricity cuts, and prevention of the entry of fuel and basic supplies led to an almost complete cessation of water services.' The agency warned that Gaza has effectively become 'a thirsty area.' The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported on May 9 that 65 to 70 percent of Gaza's water infrastructure has been destroyed. Due to these conditions, water must now be distributed by truck, a method severely hampered by fuel shortages. 'Children are bearing the brunt of this war,' said a UNICEF aid worker involved in water distribution. 'We see tragic scenes daily of children dying of hunger and thirst, walking dozens of kilometers in search of a bite or a drop of water.' The aid worker added, 'Ninety percent of families face great difficulty in obtaining sufficient drinking water and are even unable to secure water to clean a newborn baby.' Health officials have also raised concerns about the rising risks of illness brought on by unhygienic conditions. The Palestinian Water Authority warned of the contamination of rainwater basins with wastewater and the discharge of sewage into residential areas. Ramlawi emphasized that 'the minimum amount of water available is not sufficient for personal hygiene,' resulting in the spread of serious illnesses. including diarrhea, hepatitis A, polio, and kidney disease linked to contaminated water and crops irrigated with sewage. Compounding the crisis, Israel has continued to block aid trucks at border crossings since March 2, leaving humanitarian supplies, including fuel and water treatment equipment, stranded and inaccessible. The closure has further plunged the Gaza Strip, home to 2.4 million people, into famine conditions. Shortlink for this post:
Saba Yemen
3 days ago
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Gaza Municipality: Citizens experience severe thirst after 75% of wells destroyed
Gaza - Saba: The Gaza Municipality said on Sunday that a severe state of thirst is looming on the horizon with the onset of rising temperatures and an increase in the need for water by citizens and displaced persons. This is due to the Israeli enemy's destruction of 75% of water wells since the beginning of its genocidal crime on October 7, 2023. The municipality confirmed that the city is experiencing catastrophic conditions due to the destruction of the wells and the lack of fuel needed to operate the remaining wells, in addition to the intermittent pumping of Mekorot water, which has resulted in a severe state of thirst in the city, according to the "Sanad News Agency." It indicated that the state of thirst could lead to serious health and environmental crises if international agencies and organizations do not intervene urgently to provide the necessary resources and fuel, rehabilitate and operate destroyed facilities, and provide water to citizens. The Gaza Municipality noted that the current water supply does not exceed 35,000 cubic meters (cubics) per day, out of the 120,000 cubic meters pumped during such periods before the Israeli aggression. This amount is extremely low compared to the city's actual need. It explained that this amount is distributed between approximately 20,000 cubic meters of "mekorot" water, and 15,000 cubic meters produced by municipal wells, which operate for very limited hours due to fuel and electricity shortages, in addition to limited quantities produced by private wells. Previously, the Gaza Municipality warned of a major water crisis due to the continued reduction in fuel supplies to the municipality. It noted that the fuel supply is insufficient to operate its water wells for sufficient hours to provide a minimum amount of water, in addition to the lack of fuel to distribute water to owners of private wells in areas without water supply. The Israeli aggression and the genocidal crime waged by the enemy against the Gaza Strip have caused widespread destruction to water facilities, including 115,000 linear meters of water lines and networks, 63 wells, and four large reservoirs, in addition to the desalination plant northwest of Gaza. Which was producing about 10,000 cups of water per day, according to a previous statement by the Gaza Municipality. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
Gulf Today
13-04-2025
- General
- Gulf Today
Gazans struggle to find clean water amid Israeli offensive
Hundreds of thousands of Gaza City residents have lost their main source of clean water in the past week after supplies from Israel's water utility were cut by the Israeli army's renewed offensive, municipal authorities in the territory said. Many now have to walk, sometimes for miles, to get a small water fill after the Israeli military's bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza City's eastern Shejaia neighbourhood, in the north of the Strip, damaged the pipeline operated by state-owned Mekorot. "Since morning, I have been waiting for water," said 42-year-old Gaza woman Faten Nassar. "There are no stations and no trucks coming. There is no water. The crossings are closed. God willing, the war will end safely and peacefully." Israel's military said in a statement it was in contact with the relevant organisations to coordinate the repair of what it called a malfunction of the northern pipeline as soon as possible. It said a second pipeline supplying southern Gaza was still operating, adding that the water supply system "is based on various water sources, including wells and local desalination facilities distributed throughout the Gaza Strip." Israel ordered Shejaia residents to evacuate last week as it launched an offensive that has seen several districts bombed. The northern pipeline had been supplying 70% of Gaza City's water since the destruction of most of its wells during the war, municipal authorities say. "The situation is very difficult and things are getting more complicated, especially when it comes to people's daily lives and their daily water needs, whether for cleaning, disinfecting, and even cooking and drinking," said Husni Mhana, the municipality's spokesperson. "We are now living in a real thirst crisis in Gaza City, and we could face a difficult reality in the coming days if the situation remains the same." Most of Gaza's 2.3 million people have become internally displaced by the war, with many making daily trips on foot to fill plastic containers with water from the few wells still functioning in remoter areas - and even these do not guarantee clean supplies. Water for drinking, cooking and washing has increasingly become a luxury for Gaza residents following the start of the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. "I walk long distances. I get tired. I am old, I'm not young to walk around every day to get water," said 64-year-old Adel Al Hourani. The Gaza Strip's only natural source of water is the Coastal Aquifer Basin, which runs along the eastern Mediterranean coast from the northern Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, through Gaza and into Israel. But its salty tap water is severely depleted, with up to 97% deemed unfit for human consumption due to salinity, over-extraction and pollution. The Palestinian Water Authority stated that most of its wells had been rendered inoperable during the war. On March 22, a joint statement by the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics and the Water Authority said more than 85% of water and sanitation facilities and assets in Gaza were completely or partially out of service. Palestinian and United Nations officials said most of Gaza's desalination plants were either damaged or had stopped operations because of Israel's power and fuel cuts. "Due to the extensive damage incurred by the water and sanitation sector, water supply rates have declined to an average of 3-5 litres per person per day," the statement said. That was far below the minimum 15 litres per person per day requirement for survival in emergencies, according to the World Health Organisation indicators, it added. Reuters
NBC News
12-04-2025
- General
- NBC News
Palestinians struggle to find water as clean sources become increasingly scarce in Gaza
Hundreds of thousands of Gaza City residents have lost their main source of clean water in the past week after supplies from Israel's water utility were cut by the Israeli army's renewed offensive, municipal authorities in the territory said. Many now have to walk, sometimes for miles, to get a small water fill after the Israeli military's bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza City's eastern Shejaia neighbourhood, in the north of the Strip, damaged the pipeline operated by state-owned Mekorot. 'Since morning, I have been waiting for water,' said 42-year-old Gaza woman Faten Nassar. 'There are no stations and no trucks coming. There is no water. The crossings are closed. God willing, the war will end safely and peacefully.' Israel's military said in a statement it was in contact with the relevant organizations to coordinate the repair of what it called a malfunction of the northern pipeline as soon as possible. It said a second pipeline supplying southern Gaza was still operating, adding that the water supply system 'is based on various water sources, including wells and local desalination facilities distributed throughout the Gaza Strip'. Israel ordered Shejaia residents to evacuate last week as it launched an offensive that has seen several districts bombed. The military has said previously it was operating against 'terror infrastructure' and had killed a senior militant leader. The northern pipeline had been supplying 70% of Gaza City's water since the destruction of most of its wells during the war, municipal authorities say. 'The situation is very difficult and things are getting more complicated, especially when it comes to people's daily lives and their daily water needs, whether for cleaning, disinfecting, and even cooking and drinking,' said Husni Mhana, the municipality's spokesperson. 'We are now living in a real thirst crisis in Gaza City, and we could face a difficult reality in the coming days if the situation remains the same.' Most of Gaza's 2.3 million people have become internally displaced by the war, with many making daily trips on foot to fill plastic containers with water from the few wells still functioning in remoter areas — and even these do not guarantee clean supplies. Water for drinking, cooking and washing has increasingly become a luxury for Gaza residents following the start of the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose fighters carried out the deadliest attack in decades on Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people in southern Israel and taking some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, more than 50,800 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign, Palestinian authorities have said. Many residents across the enclave queue for hours to get one water fill, which usually is not enough for their daily needs. 'I walk long distances. I get tired. I am old, I'm not young to walk around every day to get water,' said 64-year-old Adel Al-Hourani. The Gaza Strip's only natural source of water is the Coastal Aquifer Basin, which runs along the eastern Mediterranean coast from the northern Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, through Gaza and into Israel. But its salty tap water is severely depleted, with up to 97% deemed unfit for human consumption due to salinity, over-extraction and pollution. The Palestinian Water Authority stated that most of its wells had been rendered inoperable during the war. On March 22, a joint statement by the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics and the Water Authority said more than 85% of water and sanitation facilities and assets in Gaza were completely or partially out of service. Palestinian and United Nations officials said most of Gaza's desalination plants were either damaged or had stopped operations because of Israel's power and fuel cuts. 'Due to the extensive damage incurred by the water and sanitation sector, water supply rates have declined to an average of 3-5 litres per person per day,' the statement said. That was far below the minimum 15 litres per person per day requirement for survival in emergencies, according to the World Health Organization indicators, it added.
Asharq Al-Awsat
12-04-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Gazans Struggle to Find Water as Clean Sources Become Increasingly Scarce
Hundreds of thousands of Gaza City residents have lost their main source of clean water in the past week after supplies from Israel's water utility were cut by the Israeli army's renewed offensive, municipal authorities in the territory said. Many now have to walk, sometimes for miles, to get a small water fill after the Israeli military's bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza City's eastern Shejaia neighborhood, in the north of the Strip, damaged the pipeline operated by state-owned Mekorot. "Since morning, I have been waiting for water," said 42-year-old Gaza woman Faten Nassar. "There are no stations and no trucks coming. There is no water. The crossings are closed. God willing, the war will end safely and peacefully." Israel's military said in a statement it was in contact with the relevant organizations to coordinate the repair of what it called a malfunction of the northern pipeline as soon as possible. It said a second pipeline supplying southern Gaza was still operating, adding that the water supply system "is based on various water sources, including wells and local desalination facilities distributed throughout the Gaza Strip". Israel ordered Shejaia residents to evacuate last week as it launched an offensive that has seen several districts bombed. The military has said previously it was operating against "terror infrastructure" and had killed a senior militant leader. The northern pipeline had been supplying 70% of Gaza City's water since the destruction of most of its wells during the war, municipal authorities say. "The situation is very difficult and things are getting more complicated, especially when it comes to people's daily lives and their daily water needs, whether for cleaning, disinfecting, and even cooking and drinking," said Husni Mhana, the municipality's spokesperson. "We are now living in a real thirst crisis in Gaza City, and we could face a difficult reality in the coming days if the situation remains the same." WORSENING WATER CRISIS Most of Gaza's 2.3 million people have become internally displaced by the war, with many making daily trips on foot to fill plastic containers with water from the few wells still functioning in remoter areas - and even these do not guarantee clean supplies. Water for drinking, cooking and washing has increasingly become a luxury for Gaza residents following the start of the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, whose fighters carried out the deadliest attack in decades on Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people in southern Israel and taking some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, more than 50,800 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign, Palestinian authorities have said. Many residents across the enclave queue for hours to get one water fill, which usually is not enough for their daily needs. "I walk long distances. I get tired. I am old, I'm not young to walk around every day to get water," said 64-year-old Adel Al-Hourani. The Gaza Strip's only natural source of water is the Coastal Aquifer Basin, which runs along the eastern Mediterranean coast from the northern Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, through Gaza and into Israel. But its salty tap water is severely depleted, with up to 97% deemed unfit for human consumption due to salinity, over-extraction and pollution. The Palestinian Water Authority stated that most of its wells had been rendered inoperable during the war. On March 22, a joint statement by the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics and the Water Authority said more than 85% of water and sanitation facilities and assets in Gaza were completely or partially out of service. Palestinian and United Nations officials said most of Gaza's desalination plants were either damaged or had stopped operations because of Israel's power and fuel cuts. "Due to the extensive damage incurred by the water and sanitation sector, water supply rates have declined to an average of 3-5 liters per person per day," the statement said. That was far below the minimum 15 liters per person per day requirement for survival in emergencies, according to the World Health Organization indicators, it added.
