UAE to restore water networks in northern Gaza

Project aims to deliver water to densely populated areas in need

A displaced Palestinian woman waits to refill water bottles at a makeshift camp in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. EPA

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The UAE has started work to restore damaged and destroyed water networks in northern Gaza.

As part of Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, the project aims to deliver water to densely populated areas, reduce pollution and provide a healthy environment.

A significant number of water facilities have been affected by the Israel-Gaza war, with 60 wells destroyed, desalination plants out of operation, main networks damaged and water contamination leading to a severe shortage.

The UAE is funding the latest project to ensure easier access to water and alleviate the daily struggle Gaza residents face.

It is the latest project to provide water, after a scheme was initiated to repair wells and water tanks in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

The UAE has also established six desalination plants in Rafah, Egypt, with a total capacity of 1.2 million gallons per day, supplying water to more than 600,000 people in Gaza, with 130 million gallons delivered to date, state news agency Wam reported.

It comes as Israeli restrictions have created a “deliberately impossible” environment for humanitarian aid organisations to address the Gaza Strip’s immense needs, the head of a group operating in the enclave said on Thursday.

Speaking from a solar-powered tent on her third visit to Gaza since war broke out in October, founder of the International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance and former CNN international correspondent Arwa Damon said aid has become “even more limited than it already was".

Watch: How one Palestinian family is coping after fleeing Gaza for Egypt