Access to 90% of drinkable water in Gaza has been lost

A Palestinian man fills empty bottles with sea water due to water crisis as a result of the suspension of water flow in the water pipes from Israel to the Gaza Strip in Deir al-Balah, Gaza on October 29, 2023 [Mustafa Hassona – Anadolu Agency]

Some 90 per cent of drinkable water in the besieged Gaza Strip has been lost, authorities have warned. While the World Health Organisation (WHO) documented 108 attacks on health facilities in the enclave.

During a press conference in Beirut, Hamas spokesperson Basem Naim said, “We caution against the ongoing catastrophic situation in Gaza,” where 90 per cent of drinkable water has been lost, compelling citizens to use contaminated or, at times, sea water, which could lead to the spread of diseases and epidemics.

Naim held the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and its administration responsible for the “humanitarian catastrophe,” particularly for residents of Gaza City and its northern areas. The agency in these areas complied with the demands of the occupation, abandoned their positions, and neglected their responsibilities towards hundreds of thousands of residents and refugees, leaving them without shelter, food, water, or medical care, despite being entrusted with the care and protection of over 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip’s refugees, he explained.

READ: WHO warns of risk of disease spreading in Gaza

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