Resources

“Over 90% of Water in Gaza Unfit for Drinking,” B’Tselem (Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories), February 9, 2014, http://www.btselem.org/gaza_strip/20140209_gaza_water_crisis.


"The Resources Israel Blockades from Gaza Will Shock You"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1Gh7YNVuFk

"Gaza Water Crisis"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e-Gb2TaA7I

How can we get involved?

Currently, there is a "Thirsting For Justice Campaign" in which an organization called the Middle East Children's Alliance seeks to provide safe clean water to the children in Gaza. They strongly encourage people from all over the world to make a donation to help bring back the water in Gaza. The donation amount is solely dependent on the person's desired amount, and of course you aren't pressured into donating if you don't want to.

"The Thirsting for Justice Campaign calls on supporters worldwide to observe World Water Day by organizing community teach-ins between March 22-April 22 to gain an accurate and factual portrayal of the challenges Palestinians are confronted with in their daily lives when accessing clean water and to promote discussion on how best to support the preservation of their water rights, including control over their natural resources". Teach-ins are educational forums where people come together to focus and discuss on a single topic. Teach-ins are meant to be practical, participatory and oriented towards action. Their main goal is to educate people and to push them to action".

Below is the link to make donations:
https://mecaforpeace.ngpvanhost.com/form/-4731611281803376640

Why is the Gaza Crisis Important and Why should we care?

Some may ask the question why is the Gaza Crisis important?

As we all know water is a necessity that humans simply cannot live without. If the water continues to be polluted and contaminated there will be no water left for drinking, ultimately it will cause a health epidemic if there isn't a solution to the problem. There are various health risks that can occur when drinking the contaminated water such as dizziness, diarrhea, seizures, gastric cancer, and death.





For those who may ask the question why should we care?
My answer to that question would be to imagine yourself in that situation where the struggle to find clean water is clearly evident. I know for certain that the thought of "who is going to help us get out of this problem" will cross your mind time in and time out. The fact that there are humans struggling to get water on a regular basis is unfathomable.

The Resources Israel Blockades from Gaza Will Shock You | Think Tank

 In 2005 Israel implemented the disengagement plan which moved all Israeli settlements out of the Gaza strip. Allowing the Palestinian's to have the freedom and to move around freely. However the plan still gave Israel the control to make decisions on who comes in and out of the gaza strip, the access of goods, territorial waters, and the tax system. The fact that Israel controls the goods coming into Gaza is the most pivotal restriction because Gaza cannot receive the materials needed in order to rebuild the waste and water facilities.
They have essentially kept Palestinians in a box and it's completely hard to make any changes in Palestine because they have to go through Israel first. Also, it seems that Israel doesn't have any intentions on fixing the problem because it has been going on for quite a long time.

Isaraeli Limitations on Gaza Water

The first section of the clip explains that Israel and Palestine share a certain percentage of the total water supply which Israel's percentage of water is vastly higher than Palestine's. Israel unfortunately does not want to lower their percentage in order to help Palestinians out. Palestinians argue that they should be compensated with an higher water percentage which would eliminate the struggle to find a fresh water supply. 

The mother in this clip has a big family in which they are struggling to get the amount of water necessary to carry everyday activities. They are heavily reliant on the trucks that delivers water to families, however the amount of water provided is not enough to take care of all the problems they are encountering. For this family specifically when the water is not delivered she is not able to bathe her children. In many situations this family had to buy drinking water from private companies which of course would be at an all time high when there is a demand for it and there is a scarcity. According to the video, water brought from the vendor is one third of the families income.

How did Gaza lose its water source?

On July 17th, 2014 there was an assault on Gaza that had a major impact on the water infrastructure. The airstrikes by Israel damaged the water lines causing the electricity and water to be impeded. The depletion of the sewage system along with no electricity creates a huge problem, as the raw sewage seeps into the groundwater. The entire population that exist in Gaza has a very restricted amount of  water and sanitation.

Furthermore the coastal aquifer that supplies the water has been over used/over pumped for decades. As time progressed, the aquifer has gotten weaker and the filtration system used to clean the water has been insufficient. A direct result of this is the integration of seawater causing an inflow of saline(salt) making the water unsuitable for drinking.