European Union policy towards the WASH crisis of the Gaza strip

Beyond short-term and ineffective humanitarian interventions, advocating for European policies that support Palestinians’ energy independence and sovereignty over their natural resources.

The Gaza Strip faces a dual water crisis. On one side, its wastewater treatment system is collapsing, with only four plants operating for 1,8 million inhabitants. 116.000 cubic meters of untreated sewage flow in the Mediterranean Sea on a daily basis, and more than a quarter of Gaza residents live in areas without adequate sanitary sewage infrastructures. On the other side, Palestinians in Gaza suffer from a lack of access to drinking water. 96,4% of Gaza’s groundwater is unfit for consumption and 95% of the population has to rely on desalinated water. Desalinated water costs five times more than network water and its quality mostly remains uncontrolled.