Over two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are facing limited access to clean water, a crisis that the United Nations is raising urgent alarms about. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has declared that water has now become a “matter of life and death” for the people of Gaza, following Israel’s imposed water supply cuts.
The UNRWA Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, has emphasised the severity of the situation, stating that “It has become a matter of life and death…fuel needs to be delivered now into Gaza to make water available for two million people.” The agency also revealed that no humanitarian supplies have been permitted into Gaza for the past week.
As a result, clean water is rapidly depleting in the Gaza Strip, with the water plant and public water networks ceasing to function. Palestinians are now forced to rely on contaminated well water, thereby increasing the risk of waterborne diseases.
In addition to the water crisis, Israel has imposed an electricity blackout on Gaza, which has further impacted the water supply. Amidst Israel’s air attacks, thousands of residents in northern Gaza have been forced to evacuate, an action referred to as “impossible” by the UN. Almost one million people have been displaced since the beginning of the conflict.
Lazzarini has urgently appealed for the delivery of fuel into Gaza, stressing that it is the only means for people to access safe drinking water. He warns that failure to do so will result in severe dehydration and potentially fatal consequences, particularly for vulnerable groups such as young children, the elderly, and women. Lazzarini calls for an immediate lifting of the siege on humanitarian assistance.
The recent conflict between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas has seen a high death toll, with at least 2,215 Palestinians killed. UNRWA has also reported that its shelters in Gaza are no longer safe, adding that this situation is “unprecedented”. The agency is advocating for a strict adherence to international law, which prohibits the targeting of civilians, hospitals, schools, clinics, and United Nations premises.
However, efforts are underway by various organizations and governments to deliver crucial humanitarian assistance to those in need, including hundreds of thousands of children.