A child carries water containers in Jabalia, in northern Gaza, as supplies dry up. AFPA child carries water containers in Jabalia, in northern Gaza, as supplies dry up. AFPFamilies survive on six litres a day as crisis worsens due to intensifying heatThe NationalJune 22, 2026
More than 75 per cent of Gaza’s population faces severe water scarcity, worsened by summer heat and overcrowded displacement camps.
Families survive on less than six litres of water per person daily, far below the 15-litre survival minimum and pre-war 85 litres.
Destroyed infrastructure, including 725 wells and 1,400km of pipelines, has crippled water and sanitation, overwhelming an already shattered health system.
A ceasefire left the Israeli military controlling about 60 per cent of the enclave, while movement restrictions keep water access constrained.
