Gaza - A Perfect Storm for Tragedy - a desperate lack of water : Palestine Chronicle / Tom McDermott

Completion of the expansion of the EU / UNICEF Gaza desalination plant in 2023 

In the article below UNICEF's spokesperson, James Elder, sums up the situation well - "...the control of fuel and access to water is to control whether thousands - perhaps tens of thousands of children live or die."  

The relationship between fuel and water, however, may not be well understood.  Over population has led to a depleted aquifer, causing seawater to replace the small amount of freshwater.  As a result, less than 5% of Gaza's water was safe for consumption even before the war.  

In 2017 UNICEF, using funds provided by the EU, completed construction of the first water desalination plant in southern Gaza.  This plant served 75,000 people.  Just a few months ago, in June 2023, a second phase of construction was completed, increasing the number of people served to 150,000. 

Desalination is a great technology for areas along the Mediterranean coast (much of Israel for instance depends on five such plants), but desalination relies on large quantities of fuel - not just for the desalination itself, but also for trucking water from the plant. Electricity production also depends on fuel, and in turn Gaza's 450 water and wastewater treatment plants need electricity.   Even before the war, a shortage of electricity meant that some 108 thousand m3 of raw sewage was pumped each day into the Mediterranean. Now no electricity means no pumping and the raw sewage simply collects in open areas.  

A part of UNICEF's water strategy has depended on ECHO funds to equip schools with water and sanitation facilities.  Four such schools were completed before the war, with a plan to use the schools as 'safe zones' for families during emergencies.  Since the beginning of the war families have flocked into those schools. However, without piped water and electricity to run pumps, the only water available in the schools has been a meager supply of bottled water trucked in from Egypt.  

Moreover, schools themselves have become targets for attacks by Israeli artillery.  "No place is safe in Gaza" is an accurate description of the situation.  

We could add that no one in Gaza will be safe from epidemic disease until they have a safe place to sleep, safe water to drink, a safe place to wash, and a safe place to defecate.

Tom   

From the Palestine Chronicle

“The perfect storm for tragedy: a desperate lack of water; fecal matter strewn across densely packed settlements; unacceptable lack of latrines” – UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that if access to water and sanitation in Gaza continues to be restricted and insufficient, the world “will see a tragic – yet entirely avoidable – surge in the number of children dying.”

UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said, during a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday: “Let’s be clear: the control of fuel and the access to water is to control whether thousands – perhaps tens of thousands – of children live or die.”

He said the minimum amount of water per person per day – be it in war or famine-like conditions – is 15 liters. That is, to drink, clean, and cook, are all critical to prevent waterborne and other infectious diseases.

“And yet there are parts of Gaza, particularly the north, …where people struggle to access as little as three liters per day. On the same day, none at all.”

He said without enough fuel, “we will see the collapse of sanitation services.”

Elder said this situation creates the perfect storm for the spread of disease.

“The perfect storm for tragedy: a desperate lack of water; fecal matter strewn across densely packed settlements; unacceptable lack of latrines; severe constraints on handwashing, personal hygiene and cleaning.”

The spokesperson said that already they are seeing almost ten times the monthly average of reported cases of diarrhea among children under the age of five, in addition to conditions such as scabies, lice, chicken pox, and respiratory infections.

Elder said it is urgent that the supply of water and sanitation materials be permitted, including equipment for the emergency repair and operation of critical water and sanitation services.


“Immediately provide safe and unimpeded access to a daily supply of fuel,” he added.

He also said a humanitarian ceasefire is critical, along with safe and unimpeded humanitarian access.

“Without these, an indifferent world will watch the death of countless children in Gaza.”

According to UNICEF, there is, on average, one shower unit for every 700 people at UNRWA shelters in Gaza. And a single toilet for every 150 people.