Occupied Jerusalem, Feb. 27 (SANA) – A United Nations special rapporteur has warned of an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, accusing the Israeli occupation of using water as a weapon of war in violation of international humanitarian law.
Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, said that around 90 percent of water desalination and treatment facilities in Gaza have been destroyed or directly targeted, leaving the population with almost no access to safe drinking water.
He noted that per capita water availability has dropped to roughly 10 percent of pre-war levels, while ongoing Israeli restrictions continue to obstruct international organizations and humanitarian agencies from repairing damaged infrastructure or delivering minimum water supplies.
The UN rapporteur warned that the spread of contaminated water has sharply increased the risk of disease outbreaks, particularly among children and the elderly, stressing that the use of water as a means of warfare is explicitly prohibited under international humanitarian law.
He called for the immediate implementation of humanitarian agreements, the full restoration of water facilities, and guarantees against renewed attacks, describing access to safe water as a prerequisite for restoring life in Gaza.
A report by the Pacific Institute previously documented more than 250 attacks by Israeli occupation forces and settlers on Palestinian water sources and infrastructure over the past five years.
