Severe water scarcity intensifies hunger and forces displacement within Gaza
Gaza Faces Unprecedented Water Crisis
Gaza is currently experiencing a severe water crisis, marked by extensive shortages, due to the destruction and damage of water infrastructure from ongoing conflict and war, displacement, fuel shortages, and restricted access to water facilities.
Extent of the Crisis
More than 80% of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure has been damaged or lies in evacuation zones, making it largely non-functional. Water supply from damaged mains is often completely cut off, and recent attempts to reconnect water lines from Israel’s water company Mekorot have failed due to war damage, causing many residents to go without running water for extended periods. Access to water is limited to intermittent water trucks and emergency taps installed in camps, which are insufficient for the population.
Causes
The crisis has been caused by nearly 22 months of war between Israel and Hamas, which have resulted in widespread destruction of water pipelines, wells, and desalination plants. Bombing and displacement orders have forced people to relocate repeatedly within a shrinking safe area, including the area housing one of Gaza’s few remaining major desalination plants, interrupting operation and water distribution. Fuel shortages threaten the operation of critical water pumping and treatment systems, worsening the crisis. Untreated sewage contaminates some of the wells due to damaged sanitation infrastructure and interrupted services.
Effects
The crisis is compounding hunger and displacement, leading to severe health risks and deteriorating living conditions, with over 2 million Palestinians squeezed into a small fraction of their land. Lack of clean water is contributing to poor hygiene, increasing the risk of infectious diseases. The dire water shortage worsens food insecurity and malnutrition levels, contributing to what the International Rescue Committee describes as a famine-like scenario across Gaza, where children and families face starvation and extreme deprivation. The combination of starvation, poor sanitation, and water scarcity is causing mortality, particularly among children.
Efforts to Alleviate the Crisis
A United Arab Emirates-led project is expected to bring a pipeline from an Egyptian desalination plant to the coastal area of Al-Mawasi, in Gaza's south. However, the project is controversial within the humanitarian community due to concerns about displacement of Palestinians in southern Gaza. Israel has connected some water mains in north Gaza to the Israeli water company Mekorot, but residents report that water isn't flowing. Hundreds of thousands of people are still trying to extract groundwater directly from wells.
The Future Outlook
The water crisis in Gaza is unprecedented and is causing additional misery for its residents. On July 13, at least eight people were killed by an Israeli strike near a water distribution point in Nuseirat refugee camp. Many wells that supplied some needs before the war have been damaged or contaminated by sewage. Local authorities attribute this to war damage to Gaza's water distribution network, with many mains pipes destroyed. Sewage floods areas where people live due to the destruction of infrastructure. Many wells are inaccessible due to being inside active combat zones, too close to Israeli military installations, or in areas subject to evacuation orders.
The coastal Gaza's aquifer is naturally brackish and exceeds salinity standards for potable water. Some Gazans mistakenly believe brackish water to be safe for consumption, but it can harm kidneys. Gaza's desalination plants are down, except for a single site reopened last week after Israel restored its electricity supply. The committee representing Gaza's prominent families issued a call for immediate provision of water, humanitarian aid, and infrastructure repair on July 24. In 2021, nearly 100% of Gaza's groundwater was unfit for consumption according to UNICEF. Diseases are spreading rapidly due to the water crisis in Gaza. Pumping stations are down and 250,000 tons of rubbish is clogging the streets. UNICEF spokeswoman Rosalia Bollen stated that there is a severe lack of drinking water in Gaza.
- The water crisis in Gaza, exacerbated by war and conflicts, has led to a severe lack of drinking water, contributing to the spread of diseases in the region.
- The destruction and damage of water infrastructure in Gaza have made more than 80% of its water and sanitation infrastructure non-functional, causing extended periods without running water for many residents.
- Climate change and environmental science play a minimal role in the current water crisis in Gaza as compared to war-and-conflicts, politics, and health-and-wellness issues.
- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported that nearly 100% of Gaza's groundwater was unfit for consumption in 2021, highlighting the dire state of water quality in the region, a consequence of the ongoing water crisis.
