Gaza Water Crisis Worsens as 80% of Networks Destroyed, Official Warns

Gaza, MINA – The water and sanitation control official in the Gaza Strip, Saeed Al-Aklouk, has warned of a worsening water and environmental disaster, with over 80% of water and sanitation networks destroyed, accompanied by a sharp decline in water production and rising contamination risks, the Palestinian Information Center reports.

Al-Aklouk said in a radio interview on Sunday that water production in Gaza has declined from around 300,000 cubic meters daily to only 123,000 cubic meters, while the per capita share of water dropped to between 21 and 22 liters per day. This decline reflects the scale of damage to the water system, as facilities face great difficulties in operating and repairing damaged networks.

He warned that the destruction of sanitation networks and damage to their infrastructure lead to sewage leaking into the underground aquifer, raising contamination levels and threatening one of the most important water sources in the Strip. Continued leakage of sewage into soil and groundwater worsens environmental risks, especially with limited resources to treat damages and control pollution sources.

The severity of the situation is further compounded by a lack of sterilization materials and limited capabilities to test water quality, making it difficult to monitor water sources and ensure their safety.

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Al-Aklouk emphasized that the continued deterioration of the water and sanitation system exacerbates the humanitarian and environmental crisis, warning that the current situation could lead to further contamination and higher health risks.

These warnings come as the repercussions of infrastructure destruction extend beyond water shortages to the environment and public health, with declining ability to treat sewage, monitor water quality, and supply sterilization materials. Gaza now faces not only a crisis in available water quantities but a comprehensive crisis in the water and sanitation system.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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