GAZA CITY: The people of Gaza are on the brink of a major public health disaster as the besieged strip grapples with a looming cholera outbreak and other deadly infectious diseases amid relentless Israeli air strikes that devasted basic infrastructure. Humanitarian organizations have issued stark warnings, emphasizing that urgent aid is crucial to prevent a catastrophic health crisis in the region.
Israel’s relentless aerial bombardment, coupled with a total blockade has pushed Gaza’s water and sanitation services to the brink of collapse. Israel cut off the water pipeline to Gaza and halted fuel and electricity provisions to water and sewage plants. Consequently, most of Gaza’s sewage pumping stations and all wastewater treatment facilities have ceased operations. Untreated sewage is now being released into the sea, and solid waste is accumulating on the streets alongside bodies awaiting burial.
Desalination plants, vital for providing clean water, have also halted operations due to the power shortage caused by the blockade. With municipalities unable to pump water to residential areas, people in Gaza are left with limited, contaminated water sources. Some are resorting to salty tap water from the enclave’s only aquifer, tainted with sewage and seawater, while others are forced to drink seawater.
Dire Health Situation in Gaza
The situation has become dire, with the UN reporting that only three litres of water per day is available per person in Gaza, far below the recommended 50-100 litres required for basic health needs by the World Health Organization (WHO).
A water and sanitation officer, painted a grim picture of families struggling to ration water and cope with dire living conditions. With hygiene products disappearing from supermarkets and water prices doubling, families face immense challenges in maintaining basic hygiene.
Humanitarian organizations, including United Nations agencies, have raised alarm about the potential outbreak of cholera and other infectious diseases if immediate aid is not provided. The blockade has halted vital supplies, exacerbating an already dire situation.
