Egyptians: Our children will die of thirst

Egypt is struggling with a new wave of alarming water crisis, as popular anger at poor infrastructure and frequent water cuts turns into growing street protests in the North African country.

The impoverished southern parts of the mostly arid country is particularly the scene of desperate shortages, including one of drinking water, which might last for days, the Middle East Eye reported Monday.

The water crisis has made the holy fasting month of Ramadan a hard time since many Egyptians can hardly secure enough water to quench their thirst after breaking their fasting in the high temperatures, it said.

The water crisis is by no means limited to the south. In recent days, people in different parts of the northern provinces have been cutting off roads and highways to express their outrage at the status quo and to draw attention to their plight.

Dozens of people from eight villages of the northeastern province of Dakahlia staged a demonstration on Saturday in front of the city hall building in the provincial capital, Mansoura, to protest against the severe lack of drinking water for 15 days.

They said they had suffered an acute shortage of drinking water during the summer for the previous eight years, adding that all promises given by authorities so far to resolve the problem had remained unfulfilled.

“Our children are going to die from thirst, but the government does not care,” one protester said.

“We have complained to all those responsible but to no avail,” said another, adding, “All the head of the water company told us was that he did not have a solution for us except the water tankers.”

But the water tankers do not come regularly and if they come people fight with each other, the protester said. “I am afraid people would kill each other for a jerry can of water.”