TEHRAN (Defapress) - Rosalia Bollen, UNICEF’s representative in Gaza, announced that 600,000 people received drinking water last November, but their water supply has been cut off again.
She stated that severe water shortages in the Gaza Strip have reached critical levels and currently only one in 10 people has access to drinking water, meaning 90% do not have access to drinking water.
UN agencies estimate that 1.8 million people, more than half of whom are children, are in urgent need of water, sanitation and health assistance. The agencies emphasize that the situation has worsened after the decision to cut off electricity to the Gaza Strip, which disrupted vital water desalination operations.
After cutting off electricity to Gaza, Israeli authorities announced that the next step would be to cut off Gaza’s water supply.
The Hamas movement announced in a statement: "Cutting off electricity, closing crossings, stopping aid and relief supplies, sending fuel, and starving our people is considered collective punishment and a full-fledged war crime."