"NEW YORK — A lack of clean water in the Gaza Strip is raising major concerns for human health.

“Gaza is running out of water, and Gaza is running out of life,” said Philippe Lazzarini, chief of the U.N. agency for Palestinians.

Gaza normally gets its water supplies from a combination of sources, including a pipeline from Israel, desalination plants on the Mediterranean Sea and wells. Those supplies were slashed when Israel cut off water, along with the fuel and electricity that power water and sewage plants, in the wake of the Hamas attacks.

The United Nations recognizes access to water as a human right, and on a basic level, the human body needs a constant supply of water to survive. “Next to air,” water is “really the most important thing for maintenance of your health,” said Dr. Tsion Firew, an emergency physician at Columbia University who has worked on water access in humanitarian settings."

Maddie Burakoff reports for the Associated Press October 16, 2023.

SEE ALSO:

"Gaza’s Collapsing Health System Shows Struggles Of Medical Care In War" (Washington Post) [2]