The war has introduced a new risk in Gaza, Palestine. The shelters have shown signs of various diseases. The severe shortage of food and water is causing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Many of the homeless residents in Gaza are falling ill due to various diseases. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has reported that the indiscriminate Israeli attacks have spread various bacteria in the shelters. Many of the residents in the shelters have been affected by respiratory infections, diarrhea, and waterborne diseases.
Over the past month, nearly 1.5 million residents in Gaza have become homeless due to Israel’s attacks. Among them, 717,000 Palestinian refugees from 149 UNRWA shelters have taken refuge. Additionally, 122,000 residents are taking shelter in hospitals, churches, and government buildings, while the rest are staying with relatives.
The homeless people are struggling to find a place to stay. This has become a major concern. Many of the homeless residents cannot find space in shelters and are sleeping on the streets.
UNRWA has stated that they may not be able to continue their operations in Gaza for much longer. Since Israel’s attacks on October 12, there is no accurate information about the overall situation and needs of the residents in Gaza City and northern Gaza.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that residents in Gaza City and northern Gaza are facing a severe water crisis. Due to the shortage of fuel, all public wells have stopped pumping water since last Thursday. Additionally, one of the two saltwater desalination projects has also shut down.
On Saturday, six trucks carrying bottled water entered Gaza through the Egyptian border. This water was distributed to homeless individuals in various shelters in southern Gaza. It takes this amount of water to meet the demand of the 66,000 people in the shelters for one day.
On Saturday and Sunday, an attack on Gaza’s seven water supply facilities caused extensive damage to the infrastructure. This has further intensified the crisis by causing a halt in the water supply.
