Gaza is facing a man-made drought due to the collapse of its water system, UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, announced today.
“Children will start dying of thirst… Only 40 percent of water production facilities are functional,” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told reporters in Geneva. “We are far below emergency standards for drinking water for people in Gaza.”
Rising Malnutrition and Concerns Over Aid Distribution
UNICEF also reported a 50 percent increase in children aged six months to five years hospitalized for malnutrition during April and May in Gaza, with half a million people suffering from hunger.
The agency stated that the aid distribution system led by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—supported by Israel and the United States—is “making a desperate situation even worse.”
Recent Casualties and Broader Context
On June 20, at least 25 people waiting for aid trucks were killed by Israeli fire in Netzarim, according to health authorities in the Gaza Strip. A day earlier, at least 51 people were killed in Israeli attacks, including 12 who were trying to approach a GHF-operated center in central Gaza. In Israeli attacks on Friday, another 12 people were killed during an airstrike that hit a family home in Deir al-Balah, bringing the total casualties for that day to 37.
Since the beginning of the Israeli military campaign in October 2023, more than 55,300 Palestinians have been killed, over half of whom are women and children, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. Israel launched its offensive after the October 7 Hamas attack, which killed around 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. According to Israeli data, 53 hostages are still in Gaza.
The war has caused widespread devastation in the Palestinian territory, with the UN stating that nearly the entire population of Gaza is on the verge of famine.
