In the Gaza Strip this winter, about 235,000 people living in 39 low-lying areas are at risk of flooding from overflow of stormwater facilities and sewage pumping stations. They will experience an increase in waterborne diseases, and suffer property losses, disruption of livelihoods and services, and displacement.
Israel’s blockade prevents access to tools and equipment to rebuild the water and sanitation infrastructure that it had bombarded and destroyed. 97% of the water in the Gaza Strip is unfit for consumption.
This week, Israel opened one of the gates of its rainwater reservoirs east of Gaza, causing flooding of large swaths of Palestinian land, drowning hundreds of dunams of agricultural land and destroying barley, wheat, and other crops. These reservoirs prevent Palestinians from storing rainwater to irrigate their crops and fill underground wells. Sources: UN OCHAOP, Counterpunch, MEM • See the AWJP's website for the entire fact list and one-page factsheets about Israel's control of water in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and illegal settlements.
Sources: UN OCHAOP, Counterpunch, MEM
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