The situation has become a matter of life and death, as clean water becomes increasingly scarce, putting the population at risk of waterborne diseases.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, emphasized the urgent need for fuel delivery into Gaza to ensure the availability of water for the 2 million people affected. Lazzarini stated, "It is a must; fuel needs to be delivered now into Gaza to make water available for 2 million people."
The Gaza Strip is grappling with a severe water crisis after its water plant and public water networks ceased operations. With an electricity blackout since October 11, the impact on the water supply has been profound. The absence of clean water has compelled people to resort to using contaminated water from wells, further elevating the risks of waterborne diseases.
Compounding the crisis, no humanitarian supplies have been permitted into Gaza for a week. At the UN base in the southern Gaza Strip, where UNRWA has relocated its operations, even drinking water is running out.
The situation has been exacerbated by the recent displacement of thousands of people who sought refuge at the UN base following warnings from Israel to evacuate northern parts of the Strip.
In the past 12 hours alone, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, adding to the nearly 1 million people who have been forced to leave their homes in the past week.
Lazzarini stressed the immediate need to truck fuel into Gaza to ensure the provision of safe drinking water, highlighting that failure to do so could lead to severe dehydration and fatalities, especially among vulnerable populations such as young children, the elderly, and women.
An urgent appeal has been made to lift the siege on humanitarian assistance, as water emerges as the last remaining lifeline for the beleaguered population in Gaza. The international community is called upon to address this escalating crisis promptly to avert a humanitarian catastrophe. (ILKHA)
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