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Gaza Nord lutte quotidiennement pour un verre d’eau propre
Khalidiyya Al-Ghafari prepares firewood not for cooking, but for boiling and sterilizing the water that her husband Ahmed will bring shortly. The citizen, residing in the Al-Rimal neighborhood in the western city of Gaza, insists on this daily exhausting routine, after her two children (4 and 6 years old) suffered from recurrent intestinal infections due to contaminated water.
Boiling water, then cooling and bottling it in plastic bottles, is not an easy process, especially with the lack of cooking gas and reliance on firewood. But Khalidiyya finds herself compelled to do this task.
Khalidiyya tells Al Jazeera that water has changed during the war. Sometimes it is cloudy, with impurities, color, and taste, which makes them drink it fearfully.
Lutte quotidienne
Meanwhile, the husband starts his daily struggle to obtain drinking water for his family. He relies on his hearing to buy it, as water-selling trucks emit distinctive musical tunes to attract residents’ attention. He follows the sound carrying two empty barrels.
As soon as he arrives, he rushes to get his turn in the long line in front of the water tank truck. He explains to Al Jazeera that the fuel shortage – prohibited by Israel from entering since the beginning of the war and with soaring prices – has made the movement of water-loaded trucks rare. Residents are forced to walk long distances to reach them.
On days when the trucks do not come, Ahmed heads to some shelter centers in the hope of finding some water to buy. Water scarcity and the high price of fuel have led to an increase in the cost of water. Ahmed now has to buy about 17 liters for 4 shekels (approximately $3.7), whereas before the war, it was only one shekel.
Une souffrance ancienne
On June 4th of the previous year, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) stated that the lack of fuel in Gaza led to the shutdown of vital water desalination stations.
The struggle of the Gaza Strip with drinking water is old and dates back several decades. Residents use the water pumped by municipalities from wells only for cleaning purposes due to its saltiness and contamination. They purchase drinking water from private desalination companies. Today, during the war, residents complain about the poor quality of water sold by desalination companies, stating that it is somewhat salty, has an unpleasant taste, is contaminated, and contains impurities.
Ahmed reveals that one of the water distributors admitted to him that the station from which he buys water lacks sufficient water filters, which they cannot replace due to the Israeli blockade. He also mentioned that the water tank on his car has not been cleaned for a while due to the unavailability of cleaning materials in the markets.
Un défi dangereux
Before the war, Naeel Al-Sousi used to roam comfortably with his water-filled truck in the streets of Gaza to meet the demands of his customers for fresh desalinated water. However, the fuel shortage currently hinders his work. He now moves between several streets, stops at intersections, and waits for residents to come to him.
Al-Sousi mixes some diesel – purchased at high prices from the black market – with other oils, especially cooking oil, to operate his truck, despite knowing that this causes significant damage to its engine. He stated to Al Jazeera that he walks with extreme caution due to the high price of diesel and tries to meet people’s needs everywhere he goes.
Despite residents unanimously agreeing on the poor quality of drinking water, Al-Sousi disagrees and explains that the desalination station from which he buys filters the water from salts and contaminants well. He added, « There might be fraud by some distributors who mix desalinated water with well water. »
Avertissement sur la situation sanitaire
Dr. Khamis Al-Iss, a professor of neurorehabilitation and pain medicine based on evidence, warns that contaminated water in Gaza poses a serious challenge to the population.
The doctor, residing in Gaza City, told Al Jazeera that over 97% of Gaza’s water is unsuitable for human consumption due to high salinity and harmful contaminants. He mentioned that before the war, the average person’s water consumption (for drinking and cleaning) ranged between 70 and 80 liters daily, which has decreased to less than 3 liters per person daily since the start of the war.
According to Al-Iss, consuming contaminated drinking water can lead to various health issues, such as gastrointestinal infections, viral hepatitis, kidney diseases, typhoid fever, cholera, and dysentery, especially in children and the elderly.
Moreover, drinking contaminated water increases the risk of exposure to toxins and toxic chemicals, such as lead, mercury, and pesticides. It can cause severe health problems, such as neurological damage, learning disabilities due to high lead levels, and certain types of cancer.
Al-Iss does not differentiate between the water conditions north of the Strip and the « genocide war » conducted by Israel, stating, « There is a death sentence on those who miraculously survive death in northern Gaza due to drinking and using contaminated water. »
