Catastrophic Damage to Critical Infrastructure
Dr. Muntaser Salem, Director General of Water Sources at the Palestinian Water Authority and Environmental Quality Authority, issued a stark warning regarding the deepening crisis surrounding water and sanitation facilities in the Gaza Strip. According to his assessment, more than 90 percent of the installations and facilities linked to these essential services have been either damaged or completely destroyed. This extensive destruction has severely compromised the ability to provide basic necessities to the population.
Severe Reduction in Daily Consumption
The director general highlighted that individual water consumption has plummeted to less than six liters per day. In a press statement released on Sunday, Salem explained that certain facilities have endured multiple rounds of shelling and destruction, further complicating efforts to supply water to residents. He noted that approximately 30 liters are currently available for a family of five individuals, a quantity that falls significantly short of the standards set by the World Health Organization.
Humanitarian Impact on Displaced Populations
The situation is particularly dire for the estimated 1.5 million displaced persons living in tents. Salem pointed out that this group lacks the capacity to store water and faces irregular daily delivery of supplies. The combination of severe water shortages and the accumulation of excess water in open areas has created conditions conducive to the spread of diseases, rodents, and mosquitoes. These factors pose serious health risks to children amidst the difficult humanitarian circumstances faced by the displaced.
Call for Immediate International Action
Emphasizing that the figures and data provided by the Palestinian Water Authority and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics clearly illustrate the scale of the emergency, Salem stated that the situation requires no further studies but rather immediate practical intervention. He called upon all international institutions to take serious and urgent steps to end the humanitarian disaster associated with the water and sanitation crisis in Gaza. He stressed that it is insufficient to merely review numbers and data; concrete measures must be taken to address the crisis and alleviate the suffering of the displaced population.
