Water Crisis in Gaza Leads to New Medical Crisis

“Doctors in Gaza and the West Bank warn they are battling an epidemic of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, a growing problem in the world’s conflict zones and one that risks spilling over borders and diminishing the global medical arsenal against serious illness.”

…Gaza is a particularly fertile breeding ground for superbugs because its health system has been crippled by years of blockade and antibiotics are in short supply. Even though doctors know the protocols to prevent the rise of drug resistant bacteria, they do not have supplies to follow them.

Unseen Enemy: Doctors in Gaza Battling Superbug Epidemic

Fahed Zuhud, 29, has a bone infection resistant to antibiotics Above image and header image provided by Médecins Sans Frontières

Yet Another Example of Water Used as a Weapon

“Israel's Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan announced on Wednesday a "worsening" in the conditions of security prisoners in Israeli prisons, including rationing water supply, blocking Palestinian Authority funds, reducing autonomy given to Palestinian prisoners and ending separation of prisoners belonging to rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah.”

Read more in this article from Haaretz:

'The Party Is Over': Israeli Minister Announces Harsher Conditions for Palestinian Security Prisoners

File photo: Security prisoners at Ramle Prison in Israel. Credit: Nir Kafri

Temporary Good News

Here's the good news: "Currently, about one quarter of all households in Gaza receive running water for eight hours per day; fifty-five percent receive water for eight hours per day every other day, and a fifth of all households only receive running water every third day. For comparison, in October, before Qatar began funding fuel for the power plant, one fifth of the population in Gaza received water once per week, 40 percent were provided with water once every four days, and another 40 percent received water every three days."

The bad news: the increase in Gaza's power supply which has improved the water situation is not expected to last for long.

Increased power supply improves water distribution in Gaza, but progress appears to be temporary

Gaza residents charging their phones and computers in a café, powered by generators. Photo from 2017, by Gisha.

PBS Newshour on Gaza's Water Crisis

Finally, some attention to this horrific situation on the mainstream news.

Of course, what's missing is the primary cause of this disaster - the continued Israeli siege, and shelling of water and sewage treating facilities and electric generating plants.

Still, a start.

Water Crisis may make Gaza Strip Uninhabitable by 2020