Water Crisis in Gaza: A Struggle for Survival Amidst Scarcity
Over 2.2 million residents of Gaza face an escalating water crisis as prolonged conflict and infrastructure damage leave 96% of the population without access to clean drinking water. With groundwater sources contaminated and desalination plants inoperable due to fuel shortages, families queue for hours to collect brackish liquid from makeshift wells, risking waterborne diseases. Humanitarian agencies warn the situation threatens to compound Gaza’s health and sanitation catastrophe.
Collapsing Infrastructure and Contaminated Sources
Decades of underinvestment, repeated bombardments, and an Israeli-Egyptian blockade have left Gaza’s water infrastructure in ruins. The UN estimates that only 4% of piped water meets WHO safety standards, with nitrate levels in coastal aquifers six times higher than recommended limits. “Children are drinking water equivalent to raw sewage,” says Dr. Yara Hamid, a pediatrician at Al-Shifa Hospital. “We’re treating record cases of cholera-like symptoms and kidney failure in infants.”
- 97% of Gaza’s freshwater sources are unfit for human consumption (UNRWA, 2023)
- Average daily water allocation: 15 liters per person (vs. WHO’s 100-liter minimum)
- Over 70% of households report water-related illnesses (Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics)
The Human Toll: Families Forced to Ration Drops
In Jabalia refugee camp, Um Mohammed divides a 20-liter jerrycan across six family members for drinking, cooking, and washing. “We reuse dishwater for laundry, then flush toilets with the runoff,” she explains. Like 40% of Gazans, her household spends over a third of its income on trucked-in water—often still contaminated. Meanwhile, Israeli restrictions on dual-use items like water pipe fittings hinder repairs to damaged networks.
Political and Environmental Factors Deepening the Crisis
The crisis stems from multiple overlapping challenges:
- Resource depletion: Gaza’s coastal aquifer may be irreversibly salinized by 2025
- Energy shortages: 90% of desalination plants operate sporadically due to power cuts
- Wastewater treatment collapse: 108,000 cubic meters of raw sewage enter the Mediterranean daily
Israeli officials argue Hamas diverts construction materials for military purposes. “Every water pipe could become a rocket,” states IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee. However, human rights groups counter that blanket restrictions violate international law. “Water is being weaponized,” alleges Omar Shakir of Human Rights Watch, citing Israel’s obligation as an occupying power under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Innovative but Insufficient Stopgap Solutions
Some communities have turned to solar-powered desalination units or rainwater harvesting systems installed by NGOs. The EU-funded Khan Younis wastewater plant, when operational, treats 25,000 cubic meters daily—but serves only 15% of Gaza’s needs. “These projects are drops in the ocean,” admits UNWRA’s Matthias Schmale. “Without political solutions and massive infrastructure investment, Gaza’s water crisis will become irreversible.”
Pathways Forward: Between Emergency Aid and Sustainable Fixes
Immediate priorities include:
- Emergency water trucking with robust purification systems
- Fuel deliveries to restart critical sanitation facilities
- Cross-border water transfers from Egypt and Israel
Long-term solutions require lifting material import restrictions, reviving the 2021 Gaza Central Desalination Plant project (currently stalled), and regional cooperation on water management. The World Bank estimates $1.5 billion is needed over 15 years to rehabilitate Gaza’s water sector—a challenging sum given competing global crises.
A Race Against Time
As climate change intensifies drought cycles, Gaza’s water crisis threatens to render the enclave uninhabitable by 2030, warns the UN. For now, parents like Abu Ahmad ration their children’s intake to three cups daily. “We can survive without food for days,” he says, “but water? That’s the real war.”
Humanitarian organizations urge readers to support certified relief efforts through donations to UNRWA or the International Committee of the Red Cross, emphasizing that every $50 provides a family with emergency water filters for six months.
See more WebMD Network
