UNRWA’s written statement on the X social media platform drew attention to the drinking water crisis in the Gaza Strip. It was stated that Palestinians wait in line for hours under the scorching summer sun to get drinking water, and then have to travel long distances with the water they fill in their containers. The statement emphasized that this is a recurring scene in Gaza. In the photos shared by UNRWA, children and women can be seen carrying heavy five-kilo water bottles on their shoulders.
Sigrid Kaag, the UN Senior Humanitarian Aid and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, stated on July 2 that civilians in Gaza had been “pushed into the abyss” following October 7, and said, “There is not only a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but also “a vortex of misery.” Noting that the public health system and education system had been destroyed and that there had been an increase in infectious diseases due to the heat, UN Coordinator Kaag pointed out that more than 1 million people had been displaced again following Israel’s attacks on Rafah on May 6 , and that 1.9 million people were displaced throughout Gaza.
