The lack of water and sewage treatment is contributing to the health collapse in Gaza. Water consumption is down to three liters per day per person, and the water is increasingly saline or otherwise polluted. This poses an immediate health risk, raising hypertension levels, especially in infants under six months, pregnant women and people with kidney disease, reports the UN OCHA. The use of saline groundwater also increases the risk of diarrhea and cholera. Health partners have detected cases of chickenpox, scabies and diarrhea, attributable to the poor sanitation conditions and consumption of water from unsafe sources. The incidence of such diseases is expected to rise unless water and sanitation facilities are provided with electricity or fuel to resume operations.
Most of the 65 sewage pumping stations are not operational, increasing the risk of sewage flooding. All five wastewater treatment plants in Gaza have been forced to shut down due to lack of power, resulting in substantial amounts of raw sewage being continuously dumped into the sea.
The lack of power and fuel as well as damage from air strikes, is also wrecking the food supply, leading not only due to the loss of refrigeration but also livestock, particularly cattle and poultry.
