Gaza faces water crisis as pipelines break, aquifers polluted

Weakened by hunger, countless Gazans walk through the devastated landscape daily to fetch water for drinking and washing — a heavy burden that still doesn’t meet basic health needs.

As global focus remains on starvation in Gaza after 22 months of Israeli military operations, aid agencies have warned that the water crisis is just as dangerous. Most of Gaza’s water comes from old, brackish wells that are now polluted by sewage and chemicals due to destroyed infrastructure. Though small desalination units provide some relief, they are not enough. Water pipelines from Israel have been damaged, and Palestinian officials say they are not working properly. Israel had cut all water and electricity early in the war and resumed only limited supply later.

In Gaza, most water systems and sanitation structures have been destroyed. Water pumps depend on generators, but fuel is rarely available. People walk long distances daily, often for hours, to collect a few litres of water. In many cases, children are forced to collect water for their families, carrying plastic containers across rough ground. The UN says every person needs at least 15 litres of water daily for drinking, cooking, and washing. But in Gaza, most people only get 3 to 5 litres per day. Diseases like diarrhoea and hepatitis are spreading quickly due to dirty water and poor hygiene.

Aid agencies report that starvation and dehydration are now direct outcomes of the ongoing conflict. A UAE-funded pipeline aims to bring clean water from Egypt, but it could take weeks before it’s operational. Oxfam and other organizations stress that only a ceasefire and full humanitarian access can resolve the crisis, warning that without immediate action, more preventable deaths in Gaza are inevitable.