Monday, 25 May 2026
“Children will begin to die of thirst ... Just 40 percent of drinking water production facilities remain functional,” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told reporters in Geneva. (AFP)
UNICEF: Gaza faces man-made drought
GENEVA – Gaza is enduring a crisis of human-made drought as its water infrastructure crumbles, the United Nations children’s agency reported Friday, as cited by Reuters.
“Children will start dying of thirst... Only 40 percent of drinking water production facilities are still operational,” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told journalists in Geneva.
Much of the aid reaching Gaza now routes through the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, supported by the United States and Israel. This group employs private American security and logistics firms and manages several distribution points in areas protected by Israeli forces.
Israel maintains it will keep allowing aid into Gaza—home to over 2 million people—while preventing supplies from reaching Hamas. Hamas, for its part, denies intercepting aid and accuses Israel of weaponizing hunger.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, described the current aid distribution system as “a disgrace & a stain on our collective consciousness” in a statement on X this Wednesday.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israel’s military campaign has claimed the lives of nearly 55,600 Palestinians, displaced almost the entire population, and triggered a severe hunger crisis.
The World Food Programme on Wednesday called for a dramatic scale-up of food aid, stating that the 9,000 metric tons delivered over the past month represent just “a tiny fraction” of Gaza’s actual needs.
“The fear of starvation and extreme demand for food are prompting large crowds to line major transport routes, hoping to intercept humanitarian supplies as they pass,” the WFP said in a statement.
“Any violence resulting in starving people being killed or injured while seeking life-saving aid is completely unacceptable,” the organization added.
Meanwhile, Palestinians in Gaza are closely monitoring Israel’s ongoing conflict with Iran, a key Hamas ally.
“We might feel some satisfaction seeing Israel targeted by Iranian rockets, but ultimately, every extra day of this war claims the lives of dozens of innocent people,” said Shaban Abed, a 47-year-old father of five from northern Gaza.
“All we want is for a comprehensive solution to end the war in Gaza as well. We feel forgotten.”