The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that Gaza is facing a “man-made drought” due to Israel’s blockade of fuel entering the territory. The humanitarian organization said that only 40% of Gaza’s drinking water-production facilities remain functional, and water production plants are running on dwindling reserves.
“If the current blockade does not end, children will begin to die of thirst,” said UNICEF spokesperson James Elder. “Diseases are advancing, and chaos is tightening its grip.” The blockade has led to a shortage of basic nutrition, resulting in over 5,000 children diagnosed with acute malnutrition in May.
The fuel shortage also affects Gaza’s water treatment plants, sewage systems, reservoirs, and pipes. Many hospitals have been crippled, with only 37% of health facilities remaining functional. Without fuel, hospital generators stop, oxygen production stops, and life-support machines fail.
Israel has continued to block shipments of humanitarian aid, providing barely enough food for 300,000 people out of a population of over 2 million. The World Food Program reported that the amount of food aid entering Gaza since May 19 was insufficient to meet the basic needs of the population.
Palestinians have been massacred by Israeli soldiers while waiting for aid at sites operated by the U.S.-Israeli run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Former High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay described Israel’s actions as “the most ruthless, prolonged and widespread attack against the Palestinian people since 1948.” The goal of the Israeli government is to destroy life in Gaza, according to Pillay.
Source: https://www.commondreams.org/news/gaza-fuel-blockade-drought