Driven by thirst and weakened by hunger, many Gazans now make daily treks across a shattered landscape to collect what little water they can – often far below the minimum needed to stay healthy.
As the world focuses on the growing threat of famine in Gaza, aid agencies warn that the territory’s water crisis is just as dire.
After nearly two years of relentless Israeli military assault, access to safe water has all but collapsed.
Some aid groups operate small desalination units, but most residents rely on wells tapped into a brackish aquifer now contaminated by sewage and toxic chemicals leaking through the rubble – fueling outbreaks of diarrhea and hepatitis.
Once a lifeline, Israeli pipelines that supplied much of Gaza’s clean water ran dry early in the war. Although limited flows resumed later, officials say the infrastructure is so damaged that no water has entered the enclave in recent weeks.
