Gaza Genocide: Starving and Thirsty in Ongoing Desolation

As discussions surrounding food shortages in Gaza intensify, the equally dire issue of water scarcity remains overshadowed. In a region grappling with the aftermath of a prolonged military campaign, the Zionist regime’s manipulation of water resources stands as a stark reminder of the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Each day, many Gazans, weakened by hunger, traverse a devastated landscape to fetch limited drinking and washing water—an arduous task that fails to meet basic health needs. While the world focuses on the looming threat of starvation, aid organizations warn that the water crisis is just as severe. Although some relief comes from small desalination units managed by aid agencies, the majority of water is drawn from a brackish aquifer, heavily contaminated by sewage and chemicals, leading to an alarming rise in diseases such as diarrhea and hepatitis.

The Israeli military agency COGAT claims to manage two water pipelines supplying millions of liters daily into Gaza, but Palestinian officials report that these systems have recently fallen into disrepair. Although water and electricity supplies were halted early in the conflict, some flow has resumed; however, the infrastructure remains critically damaged. With most water and sanitation systems destroyed, the pumps that draw from the aquifer often depend on electricity from small generators, which are now in short supply.

According to the United Nations, the minimum emergency water consumption is 15 liters per person daily, while average usage in Israel stands at around 247 liters. In stark contrast, Gazans now have access to just 3-5 liters per day, leading to a spike in preventable waterborne diseases, with rates increasing by nearly 150% in recent months. While Israel attributes the suffering in Gaza to Hamas, many experts highlight that the regime’s control over water supplies exacerbates the crisis.

The act of queuing for water has become a daily struggle for Gazans, often taking hours and leading to confrontations among those desperate for access. Many children, robbed of their childhood, now bear the burden of collecting water, running after vehicles or venturing into remote areas to fill containers for their families.

Plans for a new water pipeline funded by the United Arab Emirates, aimed at serving 600,000 people in southern Gaza, are in the works; however, it could take weeks before it becomes operational. Aid agencies emphasize that much more is needed, with UNICEF spokesperson James Elder warning that starvation and dehydration are now frontline issues, not just byproducts of conflict.

Oxfam’s Bushra Khalidi calls for an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid, cautioning that without intervention, the ongoing crisis will lead to preventable deaths—an outcome that is already unfolding before our eyes.