Gaza is plunging into a man-made drought as its water infrastructure crumbles, leaving children at risk of dying from thirst, the United Nations children’s agency warned Friday.
“Children will begin to die of thirst ... only 40% of drinking water production facilities are still operating,” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told reporters in Geneva. “We are well below emergency standards for safe drinking water in Gaza.”
UNICEF also reported a 50% rise in cases of malnutrition among children aged 6 months to 5 years from April to May, along with 500,000 people facing hunger.
The agency further criticized the U.S.-backed aid distribution system run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), saying it is “making a desperate situation worse.”
On Friday, at least 25 people awaiting aid trucks or seeking aid were killed by Israeli fire south of Netzarim in the central Gaza Strip, according to local health authorities.
