GENEVA – In a statement,
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor expressed that the catastrophic lack of accessible clean water
in
Gaza City and the northern areas of the Gaza Strip as a result of Israel’s
cutting off of the water supply in the Strip, deliberately bombing water
sources and wells, and insufficient fuel for water facilities, has subjected
Palestinians to a horrifying tragedy akin to a death sentence.
اضافة اعلان
According to the
Palestinian Water Authority, the
ongoing Israeli attacks have destroyed the water infrastructure in the strip,
including at least 65 percent of the water wells in
Gaza City and the northern
areas. Residents in the strip are currently forced to drink unclean well water,
Euro-Med stated, resulting in spreading transmitted and infectious diseases.
Under international pressure, Israel has allowed the
daily entry of 100 aid trucks via the Rafah crossing. This marks a significant
reduction from the previous average of 500 trucks entering the strip prior to
October 7, 2023. However, Israeli occupation authorities continue to impose
tight restrictions on aid entry into the strip, particularly in the northern
areas and Gaza City. This includes the fuel essential for
running water and sanitation facilities, exacerbating the situation.
According to Euro-Med Monitor, Alian Fares Abdel-Ghani,
a73-year-old resident of the Jabalia Refugee camp in northern Gaza, revealed
that residents are forced to drink salted water, crucial for daily survival but
difficult to obtain, adding that
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) destroyed the
camp’s two desalination plants. Abdul-Ghani further mentioned that the price of
a gallon of water increased from one Israeli shekel to four shekels due to
Israeli airstrikes and the lack of fuel needed to operate other stations
located farther from the camp.
Water shortage
threatens to cause health crisis as diseases spread
The human rights organization warned that excessive
consumption of undrinkable salt water will lead to
high blood pressure, kidney
disease, a heightened risk of stroke, as well as intestinal, and stomach
diseases. Consumption of untreated water could lead to an imbalance in the
body’s salt content, causing dehydration. Children and elderly are the most
vulnerable due to weakened immune systems, increasing the potential for
gastrointestinal infections to cause fatalities.
Moreover, In December,
Euro-Med Monitor conducted a
study that included a sample of 1,200 people in the strip in order to assess
the impact of the humanitarian crisis on residents. According to the study, 66
percent reported experiencing diarrhea, skin rashes, or intestinal diseases.
The study revealed that the rate of water access in the Strip, covering
drinking, bathing, and cleaning water, stands at just 1.5 liters per person per
day, falling 15 liters below the minimum amount of water necessary for survival
according to international standards.
Euro-Med Monitor stressed that international
humanitarian law prohibits attacks, destruction, or disruption of vital
facilities crucial for civilians survival, such as drinking water facilities
and networks, emphasizing that international humanitarian law strictly forbids
the use of starvation as a weapon, and as an occupying power, Israel is
obligated to provide basic needs and protection to the Palestinian residents in
the strip.
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