Gaza faces worsening water and health crisis as blockade limits aid

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli attacks have destroyed water pipelines and 34 wells, while a continuing blockade prevents fuel and spare parts from reaching generators that pump the remaining water. Residents of the Aksa University campus, about 30,000 displaced people, now rely on generators that can run only four to six hours a day because motor oil is unavailable. The lack of water and functioning sanitation has raised fears of epidemic and skin diseases, especially among children, women and the elderly.

A separate account from 20‑year‑old Hamza Haşşaş, who lost his right eye in an Israeli strike two years ago, illustrates the health fallout. He suffers from severe vision loss and requires complex eye surgery, but Gaza hospitals lack operating rooms, medical supplies and the ability to admit external medical teams. The blockade has repeatedly delayed his transfer abroad, leaving him at risk of complete blindness. Together, the water scarcity and the collapse of medical services underscore a deepening humanitarian crisis for the roughly 900,000 people living in a densely populated area of less than 25 km².