The UN special rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation said Monday that Israel’s “militarization of water” in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is part of its “water and territorial apartheid” policy. Moreover, Israel Palestinian water policies impact not only residential access but also agriculture and economic stability. #IsraelPalestinianWaterPolicies
Pedro Arrojo-Agudo highlighted that Gaza residents survive on just 4.7 liters of water per person daily. In a Geneva press briefing, he stressed that this amount falls significantly short. The World Health Organization’s emergency minimum requirement is 15 liters per person.
Arrojo-Agudo explained that Gaza’s only natural fresh water source is the coastal aquifer. He noted that Gaza’s 2.3 million residents pump three times more water than the aquifer naturally replenishes. This overuse has led to severe marine intrusion and salinization.
“In addition, Israel has been blocking 70% of the materials needed to build and operate sewage treatment plants as ‘dual-use,’ preventing proper sewage treatment, which has led to progressive faecal contamination of groundwater,” he added.
The official stressed that even before Oct. 7, 40% of the population had been provided with drinking water, adding: “At the outbreak of the war, Israel radically cut off this water supply and the power supply, collapsing desalination plants.”
Regarding the diseases that broke out due to lack of clean water, he said 1.7 million cases of infectious diseases – including diarrhea, dysentery and hepatitis A, polio, smallpox – were reported.
“All this, coupled with the lack of medical care, results in deaths, especially of babies and children, making water scarcity and contamination a silent bomb, which has far less visibility than those that destroy buildings and have killed tens of thousands of civilians; but a no less lethal bomb,” he said.
Israel Palestinian Water Policies Deepen Economic Hardship for Local Farmers
Palestinian farmers struggle to maintain crops, while Israeli settlements thrive with better irrigation systems. This imbalance creates economic hardship for Palestinians, affecting their livelihoods and food security. However, little progress has been made despite repeated demands. The lack of action continues to raise concerns among human rights groups and the global community. Ultimately, the unequal water distribution underscores broader issues of control and oppression in the region. #IsraelPalestinianWaterPolicies
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