TEHRAN – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warns Gaza children are at risk of dying from thirst after the local water system collapses.
UNICEF says that Gaza’s water infrastructure breakdown puts Israel’s blocked Palestinian territory at a risk of extreme drought and aggravated hunger.
UNICEF spokesman James Elder told a Geneva journalist he has received many reports of women and children being injured while trying to receive food assistance.
“There may be information that (AID) streaming sites are open, but social media tells them it’s closed, but that information was shared when the internet in Gaza was down and people couldn’t access it,” the elder said.
Food is very limited in Gaza after Israeli occupation imposed strict lockdowns on all supplies throughout March and April. This has led many of its 2.4 million residents to face “significant risks of hunger.” We are far below emergency standards in terms of drinking water for the people of Gaza. Children begin to die of thirst… Only 40% of drinking water production facilities are working. ”
The Israeli regime slightly eased the blockade last month, but UN aid attempts face major challenges, including rubbing, Israeli military restrictions, ongoing airstrikes and increased disruption on the ground.
The supply is also extremely short, as well as the running water pump and the fuel essential to Gaza’s only remaining desalination plant. Nothing has been allowed since the US-backed genocide reopened in March.
The elder stated: “We are far below emergency standards in terms of drinking water for the people of Gaza. Children start dying from thirst. Only 40% of drinking water production facilities are working.”
To save fuel, the UN reduced the opening hours of Gaza’s water, sanitation and sanitation services by 20% in May.
Aid workers say the limited fuel stored during the lull of the 20-month war is now close.
Most of Gaza facilities for treating wastewater have been destroyed along with sewage systems, reservoirs and pipelines.
In March, the Israeli occupation regime reduced electricity to major desalinated plants, an important source of water for the people of Gaza.
The occupation regime promotes the so-called American company, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, to take over the provision of aid on behalf of an earlier system controlled by the United Nations.
However, UN agencies and major humanitarian organisations that have distributed aid to Gaza since genocide began more than 20 months ago have rejected the proposed system. They say it is infeasible, inadequate and morally unacceptable. They also deny Israel’s accusations that Hamas is stealing aid.
On average, Israeli occupation forces kill children every 40 minutes, according to the director of the Gaza Health Ministry.