UN says IDF offensive in Deir al-Balah threatens to deprive Gazan’s of key water sources

The southern Gaza desalination plant and other vital water infrastructure are located within the Deir al-Balah areas from which the IDF has ordered Palestinians to evacuate, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric says during a press briefing.

The plant is a main source of drinking water for hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people in the coastal Mawasi zone, producing 660,430 gallons of water per day.

“The loss of this facility would be catastrophic for the people who depend on it for access to fresh water,” Dujarric says.

As of early July, 80 percent of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities fall within Israeli-militarized zones or in areas that have been placed under evacuation orders, says the UN spokesperson, adding that 93% of households in Gaza had no access to water as of last month.

Over 87% of Gaza is currently under Israeli evacuation order, which has squeezed about 2.1 million people into fragmented areas of the Strip where hardly any services are available, Dujarric says.

He says that UN humanitarian staff will remain in Deir al-Balah areas that the IDF has ordered to evacuate and has shared its coordinates with all parties of the conflict.

Many Gazans are living in tents that have a shorter life span due to the weather conditions.

UN agencies also tell us that about 1.35 million people in Gaza need shelter and household items. Nonetheless, no shelter supplies have been allowed into Gaza for the past 140 days, Dujarric says.

While Israel allowed a convoy of fuel tankers into Gaza earlier this month, the quantity was hardly sufficient, and the UN urges Israeli authorities to authorize the transfer of additional convoys, he adds.