UAE To Supply Desalination Water To Gaza Strip Through New Pipes

JAKARTA - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced the launch of a new project to supply desalination water to the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine via a new pipeline.

In this project, water will be distributed from the Egyptian border, the state news agency WAM reported, as reported by The National News July 17.

This 6.7 km long pipe and 315 mm wide will connect the desalination installation built by the UAE on the Egyptian side with Palestinians who are displaced in the area between Khan Younis and Rafah.

The project, which is part of the "Operation Gallant Knight 3" campaign, targets to serve the 600,000 affected Gazans, providing 15 liters of desalination water per person every day.

More than 80 percent of the water facilities in Gaza have been destroyed, leaving many people in the enclave struggling with dehydration every day.

"This new water pipeline project is not just an emergency response to the water crisis in Gaza, but an extension of the UAE's consistent approach to supporting the Palestinian people, especially given the disaster caused by the war," said Sharif Al Nairab, media official for "Operation Gallant Knight 3".

"The UAE has and continues to be a major supporter of Gaza in various sectors, ranging from the construction of desalination factories to the provision of water tanker trucks, well drilling, and network maintenance, to this vital project that seeks to secure drinking water for the areas most affected," he said.

The project is the latest in a series of initiatives launched by the UAE to tackle the collapse of infrastructure in Gaza, particularly water resources, in the Palestinian enclave.

This comes as Palestinians displaced in 18 Gaza regions were forced to move again after the Israeli army announced an order to eviction "the pandemic for their safety" on Tuesday.

UNICEF has warned of "man-made drought" as most drinking water systems in the region do not work.

It is known that the latest conflict in Gaza broke out after a Palestinian militant group attacked Israel's southern region on October 7, 2023, leaving 1,200 people dead and another 251 held hostage according to Israeli calculations.

Israel responded to this by blocking, airstrikes and military operations in the Gaza Strip region.

Israel and the Palestinian militant group agreed to a ceasefire and exchange of hostages and detainees on January 19.

At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are believed to be still alive. The majority of the initial hostages have been released through diplomatic negotiations, although the Israeli military has also released several hostages.

On March 2, Israel again carried out a total blockade against Gaza under the pretext of pressuring Palestinian militant groups to agree on a ceasefire proposed by the United States and a exchange of hostages.

As the ceasefire agreement ended, Israel resumed military operations in Gaza on March 18.

As of yesterday, Palestinian deaths in the Gaza Strip since the latest conflict broke out have reached 58,573, while 139,607 others have been injured, according to a medical source in Gaza, quoted from WAFA.