Gaza / PNN / The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to safe drinking water and sanitation stated that the Israeli army has destroyed approximately 90% of water facilities in the Gaza Strip since the start of the aggression, warning of a growing humanitarian disaster that threatens the lives of residents.

The UN official explained that water deprivation has been used as a weapon against the people of Gaza, through targeting water infrastructure and preventing the entry of fuel needed to operate wells and desalination plants.

He added that the contamination of drinking water in the Strip now poses a direct threat to thousands of families, with an increasing risk of cholera outbreaks and other serious diseases due to the lack of safe water.

The rapporteur also noted that the ceasefire agreement has not halted the ongoing “genocidal” conditions in Gaza.

Gaza continues to suffer a severe water crisis due to the genocide and ongoing blockade, despite the declared ceasefire.

Gaza Municipality spokesperson Husni Mahna previously said that the quantities of water reaching the Strip do not exceed 15% of actual needs, approximately 100,000 cubic meters per day for a population exceeding two million people.

He added that the current supply relies on an unstable line from the Israeli company Mekorot, which provides only about 15,000 cubic meters daily.

During the two-year war, which ended with a fragile ceasefire on October 11, water networks, most wells, and desalination plants were severely damaged.

Of the 88 wells that were operational before the war, only 17 are currently functioning, while the central desalination plant has ceased operations due to fuel shortages and the lack of spare parts and equipment.