GAZA, (PIC)
Gaza is facing a rapidly worsening water crisis as infrastructure destruction and mass displacement sharply reduce access to safe water, leaving residents struggling daily to secure minimal supplies.
According to field reports, dozens of displaced Palestinians queue for hours at water trucks in central Gaza, filling small containers and carrying them back to tents in a repeated effort to meet basic needs.
Each truck carries about 10,000 liters, often distributed between two camps of more than 800 people each, leaving individuals with less than 10 liters per day, far below the recommended global minimum of 50 to 100 liters.
Supply collapse and rising risks
The crisis has been driven by the destruction of most water wells and infrastructure. Gaza’s water system, which once supplied around 100,000 cubic meters daily, has dropped to just 35,000 cubic meters, according to local officials.
Per capita water availability has fallen from about 80 liters per day before the war to less than 10 liters, and at times as low as two liters.
Entire areas, including western Al-Nasr, northern Shati Camp, Tel al-Hawa, and parts of central Gaza, are experiencing near-total water outages due to infrastructure damage, population density, and disruptions in external supply lines.
Residents say the limited water they receive is often insufficient. One father of seven said the amount he collects from trucks does not last a full day, while others report relying on unsafe, unfiltered water that has led to illness among children.
Water collection has also become dangerous. Drivers operating near Israeli military positions risk being shot or targeted, with recent incidents including the killing of a driver and his brother during a delivery.
A prolonged humanitarian emergency
In areas like Tel al-Hawa and Khan Yunis, residents face severe shortages or rely on groundwater pumps that require scarce fuel. In displacement zones lacking water networks, a single pump may operate for just one hour a day to serve thousands of people.
In some camps, families receive only around 60 liters per day for all uses, while drinking water is delivered by trucks just twice a week.
As temperatures rise and demand increases, displaced families are forced to ration already inadequate supplies, raising serious concerns about the health and humanitarian consequences of the ongoing crisis.
