'Gaza is running dry' amid most intense Israeli bombardment

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Oct 2023 11:21

Many families in Gaza had to ration their water, often resorting to drinking contaminated or brackish water.

Palestinians queue to refill on water in Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. (AFP)

The water shortage in Gaza has worsened due to a comprehensive Israeli blockade that severely limits the inflow of freshwater into the world's biggest open-air prison.

"Israel" maintains control over water sources in the area and has effectively denied Gazans access to clean and safe drinking water. Consequently, a burgeoning crisis is underway, marked by acute water scarcity for everyday needs and sanitation. This dire predicament is placing significant strain on the population, impacting their well-being and overall living conditions amid ongoing genocide.

This is genocide and ethnic cleansing.
This is what happening in #Gaza right now.#GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/1PAgIIRXKI
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 14, 2023

At UN shelters throughout Gaza, water supplies have been depleted. Thousands have crowded into the courtyard of the largest hospital in the besieged region, seeking refuge as a last resort in anticipation of an Israeli ground invasion. Overwhelmed doctors are facing difficulties in caring for patients, with the looming threat that patients may not survive once the hospital's generators run out of fuel. It is worth noting that there is no safe place in Gaza as "Israel" bombed residential buildings, homes, UN facilities, schools, and even hospitals.

The big picture

"Israel" has disrupted the supply of essential resources, including food, medicine, water, and electricity, to Gaza. They have carried out hysteric airstrikes on residential areas and mandated the forced displacement of approximately 1 million residents in the northern part of Gaza in anticipation of an Israeli ground invasion. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the ongoing Israeli aggression that commenced last weekend has led to the deaths of over 2,750 Palestinians, a majority of whom are children and women.

- Israel has cut off water, gas and power supplies.

- Israel has prohibited humanitarian aid from entering #Gaza

- Israel targeted UNRWA's essential food supply centers.

Have you experienced being intentionally starved to death? pic.twitter.com/iScELfWPq2
— Hanine Hassan حنين (@Hanine09) October 16, 2023

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan informed CNN on Sunday that Israeli authorities claimed to have restored water supply to southern Gaza. However, "Israel's" energy and water ministry spokesperson, Adir Dahan, clarified that the water was only flowing at one specific location in the southern part of Gaza. Aid workers in Gaza reported that they had not observed any evidence of the water being reinstated, and a spokesperson for the Gaza government confirmed that water was not yet flowing.

Meanwhile, residents of Gaza queued for extended periods outside bakeries, contending for the opportunity to purchase bread, as concerns about potential food shortages grew.

Doctors are concerned about the well-being of patients who rely on ventilators and individuals with intricate blast injuries that require constant attention. They feared that entire hospital facilities might cease operations, putting many lives at risk, as the remaining fuel supplies for their generators neared depletion. Humanitarian monitors from the United Nations estimated that this critical situation could materialize as early as Monday.

In Gaza City's Shifa Hospital, medical authorities approximated that over 35,000 individuals, including men, women, and children, were tightly packed into the vast open spaces, as well as stairwells and hallways within the hospital premises. They sought refuge there, believing that this location would provide them with some degree of safety amid the ongoing conflict.

However, the Israeli aggression has not spared health workers or hospitals.

No drinking water

Approximately 500,000 Gazans have sought sanctuary in UN shelters spread throughout the region, and they are facing a critical shortage of water, as stated by Juliette Touma, a representative of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees. She emphasized that Gaza is rapidly depleting its water resources, which has prompted UN teams to initiate water rationing measures.

“Gaza is running dry,” she said.

GAZA WATER CRISIS - SAVE GAZA FROM A CRISIS

ISRAEL IS COMMITTING A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY!

TURN ON THE ELECTRICITY

THIS IS NO WATER IN GAZA#WATER4GAZA pic.twitter.com/RIxHGcNJ2F
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) October 16, 2023

Water crisis continues in Gaza during the ongoing Israeli aggression against the strip. #OpenRafahCrossing #FreeGaza pic.twitter.com/hCEz1eYA0z
— سارة ⚯͛ (@saraadas) October 16, 2023

Juliette Touma reported that a quarter of a million individuals in Gaza sought refuge in shelters within the last 24 hours, with the majority taking shelter in UN schools where clean water has become scarce, according to Inas Hamdan, another UNRWA spokesperson.

Throughout Gaza, families were compelled to ration their diminishing water resources, and, unfortunately, many had no choice but to consume contaminated or brackish water. Desperate residents even resorted to using unclean wells and seawater, thereby heightening the risk of dehydration, waterborne illnesses, and further fatalities.

“I am very happy that I was able to brush my teeth today, can you imagine what lengths we have reached?” said Shaima al-Farra, in Khan Younis, as quoted by AP.