Water Crisis in Gaza: Desperate Gazans Struggle for Clean Drinking Water as Resources Deplete

Mohammad Al Shanti must travel almost four miles to Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza just to collect water in plastic bottles. This limited supply is only sufficient to meet his family's most essential requirements. "We refrain from washing our clothes and conserve every single drop," he expressed to CNN, labeling the water crisis as "disastrous."

Finding clean water has become an increasingly difficult and all-consuming challenge for many Gaza residents. Following Hamas' brutal attacks on Israel on October 7, Israeli authorities reported at least 1,400 fatalities and more than 200 hostages. In response, Israel initiated an aerial bombardment of Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 5,000 individuals, as stated by Palestinian health officials. Additionally, Israel imposed a "complete siege" on the enclave, depriving its inhabitants of essential resources such as water, food, and fuel.

Israel has partially reopened one of the three pipelines supplying water to Gaza, but this meets only a fraction of the region's needs. Although most of Gaza's water is sourced locally, the diminishing fuel supply for pumping and purifying it presents a growing concern. Consequently, the deteriorating water infrastructure has compelled some residents to consume contaminated, saline water. This alarming situation has raised apprehensions about an impending health crisis and the possibility of dehydration-related fatalities.

A humanitarian catastrophe

Water production in Gaza is currently at 5% of normal levels, according to a UNICEF report from October 17, citing the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA).

According to the UN, inhabitants of Gaza are currently surviving on less than 3 liters of water per day, which is significantly lower than the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended minimum of 50 liters. This amount is essential for meeting basic necessities such as drinking, cooking, and hygiene. Natasha Hall, a senior fellow at CSIS, explains that the available water in Gaza is mostly a combination of non-potable seawater and sewage. Non-profit organization Oxfam reports that individuals are resorting to drinking from agricultural wells out of necessity.

Mazen Ghunaim, the PWA's leader, warned that the absence of a large-scale intervention would lead to a "humanitarian catastrophe" due to the water scarcity.

A ray of hope emerged during the weekend as the initial fleet of aid trucks, carrying supplies of water, food, and medical necessities, crossed the Rafah crossing at the Egyptian border to reach southern Gaza.

A convoy of lorries carrying humanitarian aid, including water, enters the Gaza Strip from Egypt via the Rafah border crossing on October 21, 2023.

Ghunaim told CNN that Gaza only received 60,000 liters of water on Saturday, which is far below the necessary amount of 33 million liters per day for the 2.3 million people residing in the enclave.

These first aid efforts are "just the initial drop in the ocean," said Richard Peeperkorn, the WHOs representative for the West Bank and Gaza.

Fuel is water

One vital supply missing from the aid convoys has been fuel. Without it, Gazas water system has crumbled.

"Fuel is water," said Hall of CSIS. "Cutting off fuel is cutting off water."

Water is a significant consumer of energy due to its weight, according to Kellogg Schwab, a professor of water and public health at Johns Hopkins University. Each liter weighs 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds), making the movement of water require a substantial amount of energy, Schwab explained to CNN.

In Gaza, the absence of electricity has resulted in the depletion of water supply. "Even those fortunate enough to have a well cannot pump water to higher floors due to the lack of electricity," Al Shanti stated.

Due to fuel shortages and the ongoing bombardment, the water trucks that Gazans depend on to fill their containers cannot reach their homes, according to Omar Shaban, founder and director of PalThink for Strategic Studies, an independent think tank based in Gaza. Additionally, the process of making water suitable for drinking also requires fuel.

All five wastewater treatment facilities and two out of the three desalination plants are currently non-functional. The only remaining significant desalination plant in the region, which was previously closed for almost a week, has now resumed operations. However, it is currently operating at less than 7% of its regular capacity. Despite the existence of smaller local desalination units, these are inadequate to meet the demand. According to Ghunaim from the PWA, Gaza's fuel reserves may be completely depleted within 48 to 72 hours.

People fill plastic containers with potable water in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip on October 23, 2023.

As disease becomes an increasing concern, people are resorting to storing water in containers to secure their supply. However, this poses a risk as the water can easily get re-contaminated. The accumulation of sewage in the streets and the lack of proper sanitation in overcrowded shelters for displaced Gazans further exacerbate the situation.

Concerns are mounting among experts about the potential surge in waterborne illnesses such as cholera and dysentery, further straining an already fragile healthcare system. In fact, hospitals are currently confronting an urgent situation where there is a scarcity of water, making it difficult to properly sterilize surgical equipment.

CNN reached out to COGAT, the Israeli organization responsible for coordinating governmental activities in the territories, to obtain a statement regarding the status of water and fuel in Gaza. However, as of now, no response has been received from them.

Israel has consistently stated that the fuel would be utilized by Hamas for their military operations. Mark Regev, the senior advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, informed CNN on Monday that Hamas would steal the fuel and employ it to power rockets aimed at killing Israeli citizens. He further mentioned that even if all hostages were released, Israel would still deny entry of the fuel.

But the absence of this precautionary measure has been highlighted by international organizations as a potential cause for an imminent crisis, as the availability of potable water could be depleted. "If this persisting issue is not addressed promptly, the consequences could be devastating, resulting in a rise in mortality rates due to severe dehydration, particularly affecting the younger generation," emphasized Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner general of UNRWA, the United Nations agency responsible for providing assistance to Palestinian refugees.

A crisis decades in the making

Accessing clean water has been a persistent struggle for Gaza Strip residents, given its dense population and limited resources. In terms of water supply, Gaza relies on desalination plants, pipelines for purchased water from Israel, and groundwater wells.

The majority of Gaza's water supply is sourced from a coastal aquifer, an underground water reservoir that extends along the eastern Mediterranean coastline from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to Israel. Approximately 97% of this water is non-potable due to high salinity levels, brackishness, and contamination from untreated wastewater and pollution.

The Gaza Strip's surging population has led to the over-extraction of the aquifer, surpassing its natural replenishment rate. Consequently, an annual withdrawal of water is more than double the amount that can be naturally replaced. This excessive pumping has resulted in the intrusion of salty Mediterranean water as freshwater levels decline. Furthermore, the climate crisis exacerbates the situation, with rising sea levels intensifying groundwater salinity. Additionally, the region experiences more frequent and severe extreme weather events, including heatwaves and droughts, posing a grave threat to its water resources.

Hall mentioned that Israel's domination over Gaza's water system has exacerbated the situation, particularly regarding the entry of essential components into the region.

Specifically, items categorized as "dual use," which implies that they possess potential military applications, necessitate specific authorization for their introduction into Gaza. Hall highlighted the immense challenges encountered when attempting to develop water infrastructure in both the West Bank and Gaza.

Even before the conflict, many experts were saying the water situation would be "catastrophic in the future," Hall said.

We have been humiliated

Displaced people fetch drinking water in the yard of an UNRWA school in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, on October 20, 2023.

As the crisis in Gaza intensifies, people are trapped with no means of escape. While water shortages are common in conflicts globally, many individuals simply relocate. However, the situation is different in Gaza, where the people are unable to move even when the water supply runs dry.

Living in an UNRWA tent in the southern city of Khan Younis, Um Haitham Hassan finds herself in an unbearable situation. She is unable to wash her family's clothes or give her children a bath due to the lack of water. In addition to that, the fuel supply has been completely cut off. Um Haitham Hassan expressed her deep humiliation, stating that their clothes, hair, and bodies have become dirty.

"Where do we get water?" she asked.

CNNs Abeer Salman, Lauren Kent, Niamh Kennedy, Kareem Khadder, Alex Hardie, Mitchell McCluskey and Clarissa Ward contributed reporting.