In the military actions since the start of Israel’s Operation Cast Lead on 27 December 2008, hundreds of thousands in Gaza have been cut off from water and sanitation services and infrastructure has been badly damaged. In its flash appeal for Gaza, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has requested US$ 25 million for water and sanitation. The UK Department for International Development (DFID) has pledged £600,000 to Oxfam to provide water and sanitation for at least 50,000 people and to target 2,100 families with health and hygiene-related relief items.
OCHA reports that as of 30 January 2009 seventy percent of water wells in Gaza are functioning, though 10,000 people remain without access to water. Following some emergency repairs, sewage is no longer leaking into the streets in Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia. The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) reported that water pipes damaged during the fighting are at risk of contamination from sewage. Furthermore, Gaza is at risk from groundwater contamination by sewage as the sandy soil easily absorbs water and any sewage leakages. Restrictions on the goods that can cross into Gaza are impeding the repair of the sewage and water systems.
The CMWU currently has a list of prioritized items, including pipes, generators and pumps awaiting clearance
from the Israeli authorities for entry into Gaza. Humanitarian organizations, including Action Contre la Faim (ACF), CARE, ICRC, Oxfam and UNICEF are providing drinking water and supporting CMWU to perform urgent repairs.
Source: OCHA, occupied Palestinian territory: Gaza Situation Report No. 19, 30 Jan 2009
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