Human RightsPalestine

Gaza drinking water unusable by 2016, official warns

355781_Gaza-water-crisisA Palestinian official says drinking water in the besieged Gaza Strip will become unusable by the year 2016 should desalination projects keep slowing down.

Marwan Bardaweel, program coordinator at the Palestinian Waters Corporation, said on Sunday that there are many obstacles that have delayed the implementation of water desalination projects in the coastal enclave, adding, “These projects are the only main solution to avoid a future water crisis.”

“Among the obstacles are the lack of funds from the donors, the growing energy crisis and the closure of crossing points,” Bardaweel said.

He noted, “Israel bans construction materials and the needed equipment for water desalination stations.”

Gaza has been blockaded since June 2007, which is a situation that has caused a decline in the standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty.

The apartheid regime of Israel denies about 1.7 million people in Gaza their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, jobs that pay proper wages, and adequate healthcare and education.

The Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO), which represents more than 130 Palestinian civil society organizations, has called on the international community to end the “continuous Israeli siege.”

Several human rights organizations and civil groups have also criticized the Egyptian army for preventing the people in Gaza from accessing most of their basic goods like construction materials, food, and fuel.

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