UN warns of water and sanitation system collapse in Gaza's Rafah

HAMILTON, Canada

The UN on Monday warned that the water and sanitation system is nearing collapse in Gaza city of Rafah.

The situation in Gaza remains "dire and rough, where about half of Gaza is currently seeking shelter," Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a news conference.

Dujarric said intensive strikes on Rafah are "continuing to be reported along with dozens of fatalities," making it difficult for locals to access essential services such as healthcare, clean water, and sanitation facilities.

"The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility warned that the entire water and sanitation system is nearing collapse to address the rising needs for safe drinking water" in Rafah, he added.

Dujarric further emphasized the noticeable increase in "heightened anxiety about an imminent large scale Israeli ground operation" in Rafah.

Asked about recent talks for a truce in the blockaded Gaza Strip, Dujarric expressed hopes for all those involved to "find a way to reach an agreement to end the suffering."

Israel has waged a brutal offensive on the Palestinian enclave since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

Nearly 34,500 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 77,600 others injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.