New York - Saba:
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Gaza Strip, Pedro Agudo, announced that approximately 2.1 million people in the Gaza Strip are suffering from a severe water crisis, noting that nearly 70 percent of the Strip's water infrastructure has been destroyed as a result of Israeli military operations.
Agudo explained in a press statement on Wednesday that the occupying power has systematically destroyed the water infrastructure and prevented access to clean water sources in Gaza, describing this as a "silent but deadly bomb."
He stated that the vast majority of the Strip's population has access to only very limited quantities of water, or is receiving contaminated water that poses a serious threat to their health.
The Special Rapporteur noted that the Israeli blockade imposed since October 2023 has affected food, water, electricity, and other essential goods. He noted that the crisis has spiraled out of control after Israel cut off access to fuel needed to operate water purification plants and wells.
He emphasized that the deliberate destruction of water systems means that water is being used as a weapon in the war on Gaza, noting that Israeli attacks on Gaza's water infrastructure have reduced the daily per capita water supply to only 5 liters, which is "insufficient for normal life."
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