Gaza ‘dying of thirst’ as water collapse deepens humanitarian crisis

GAZA — The Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) on Saturday warned of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, declaring that water and sanitation systems have nearly collapsed amid Israel’s ongoing offensive.

The authority described the besieged enclave as “a region dying of thirst,” accusing Israel of committing a “grave and systematic war crime by using thirst and starvation as tools of genocide.”

According to the PWA, water extraction in Gaza has declined by 70 to 80 percent since the war began. “Current water consumption has dropped to an alarming 3–5 liters per person per day—far below the World Health Organization’s emergency minimum of 15 liters,” it said.

An Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (IRDNA) found that 85% of Gaza’s water and sanitation facilities have suffered severe damage. The PWA added that power outages, fuel shortages, and military restrictions have paralyzed efforts to restore critical infrastructure.

“Wastewater systems are non-functional, resulting in the discharge of untreated sewage into residential areas and overflowing stormwater basins—posing grave public health threats,” it stated.

With access to clean water dwindling, many Gazans are resorting to brackish agricultural wells, which the authority warned is leading to widespread exposure to waterborne diseases.

The PWA urged the international community to act immediately to stop what it called “a deliberate and systematic campaign to exterminate the civilian population of Gaza through thirst, hunger, and disease.”

Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, told Anadolu Agency earlier this week that cutting off water to civilians is akin to “dropping a terrible silent bomb on them... silent but lethal.”

Citing UNICEF data, Arrojo-Agudo noted that cases of diarrhea among children under five in Gaza surged from 40,000 to more than 70,000 in a single week in early December.

Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza on March 18, breaking a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement reached on January 19. Since the war began in October 2023, more than 52,800 Palestinians — mostly women and children — have been killed, according to health authorities in Gaza.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice. — Agencies