Gaza faces water deprivation and collapsing sewage system exacerbates environmental and health disasters
The Gaza Strip is facing unprecedented health and environmental disasters as sewage networks collapse and thousands of cubic meters of wastewater flow daily, alongside Israeli restrictions on water, fuel, and equipment. Al-Mezan Center warns that 91% of families suffer from water insecurity, and 24,000 cubic meters of untreated sewage flow into the sea daily.
The Gaza Strip is facing unprecedented health and environmental disasters amid ongoing Israeli restrictions on water, fuel, aid, and equipment needed to repair infrastructure, alongside a widespread collapse of sewage networks and the daily flow of thousands of cubic meters of untreated wastewater. According to the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions have reached critical levels, with a decline in residents' ability to access safe water and an increase in the proportion of families suffering from moderate to high water insecurity to 91% at the beginning of last August, compared to 84% in June. Al-Mezan noted that the water crisis worsened with a temporary halt to water desalination operations in Israel on August 31, leading to a decline in available supplies for about one million people in Gaza. Parallel to the water crisis, the Gaza Municipality warned of an accelerating collapse of the sewage system, noting that about 24,000 cubic meters of untreated wastewater flow into the sea daily. Eight wastewater treatment plants have been damaged, along with the destruction or damage of about 212,000 linear meters of sewage networks. The main generator of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City stopped on September 9 due to mechanical failures. The number of amputations has reached about five thousand cases. About 1.98 million people need shelter-related assistance. The article adopts a rights-based language and focuses on Israeli responsibility without mentioning Hamas's role in managing the sector.