The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has raised alarm over Gaza’s deepening water crisis, as many of the remaining functional water wells and sanitation facilities are now located in newly evacuated areas.

Samiksha Tripathy  Aug 22, 2024

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has raised alarm over the worsening water crisis in Gaza, as many of the region’s remaining functional water wells are now located in areas recently evacuated due to ongoing conflict. The situation has made access to clean water increasingly difficult for the besieged population.

In a statement posted on X, UNRWA expressed grave concern over the deteriorating conditions in Gaza. “With overcrowding, lack of hygiene, and unbearable heat, access to clean water continues to be a struggle,” the agency stated, underscoring the dire humanitarian situation. The new displacement orders have exacerbated an already critical water shortage, with thousands of civilians forced to leave their homes and relocate to increasingly congested areas.

The water crisis is particularly acute in the central Gaza Strip, where new Israeli evacuation orders have targeted parts of Deir el-Balah, a city that has already seen significant population displacement. Thousands of civilians, many of whom had already been displaced multiple times since the conflict began, have once again been forced to flee, leaving behind what little access they had to water and sanitation facilities.

UNRWA’s warning highlights the broader humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, where infrastructure has been decimated by repeated airstrikes, leaving the population without adequate access to essential services. The destruction of water wells, combined with ongoing hostilities and limited humanitarian aid, has left Gaza’s residents in an increasingly desperate situation.

The lack of access to clean water is compounded by overcrowded living conditions in the areas where displaced civilians are now seeking refuge. As temperatures rise, the lack of water has raised concerns about outbreaks of water-borne diseases, threatening the lives of people struggling to survive under the threat.