Nearly 230,000 in Gaza to get clean drinking water under UAE project

125 schools will receive water desalination units and solar power systems

A Palestinian boy carries a can of water at the Al Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, on November 3, 2021. Groundwater wells in the area have become unusable and people now depend on bottled water. AFP

About 230,000 pupils and teachers in Gaza will soon get access to clean drinking water under a UAE government-funded project.

The US-based Rostropovich-Vishnevskaya Foundation launched the project.

Under the initiative, 125 schools in Gaza managed by UNRWA, the United Nations relief agency working for Palestinian refugees, will receive water desalination units and solar power systems, as a renewable energy source generating electricity to provide clean water.

The UNRWA and the RVF plan to finalise the agreement soon.

"The initiative is an important step towards mitigating the water crisis in Gaza, as groundwater wells have become unfit for human use," the foundation said.

"Underprivileged families now depend on bottled water provided by water trucks, which is a costly option that involves health risks.

"To solve this problem, the RVF is exerting significant efforts to provide Gaza’s residents with clean water."

The foundation said it planned to implement the project in collaboration with the UNRWA and local water establishments,

It said the UAE is financially supporting the project, after providing children in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank with Covid-19 vaccines.