The non-governmental organization (NGO) denounced in a statement that water and sanitation services had completely collapsed due to Israeli bombing.
Gaza’s five sewage treatment plants and most of its 65 pumping stations are closed, meaning wastewater is now being discharged untreated into the sea and solid waste is piling up on streets in some areas, he said.
Oxfam noted that drinking water is virtually running out, forcing “many people to drink from farm wells.”
The UN Water and Sanitation Group, of which Oxfam is a member, stressed that this coastal enclave currently only has three liters of the liquid available per day per person.
On this subject, he recalled that the World Health Organization recommends consumption of 50 to 100 liters per day. People running small desalination or water treatment plants are now the largest suppliers, a situation that has led to an up to five-fold increase in the price of liquid, he lamented.
“There is no electricity, no food, no water in Gaza, all in all it is a breeding ground for cholera and other diseases,” said Amitabh Behar, acting executive director of Oxfam International.
“The situation for the civilian population is already intolerable. Our staff tell us that in some cases up to 70 people are crammed into a single room. Humanitarian aid must now reach the Gaza Strip,” he demanded.
The NGO revealed that 1.8 million people in the area now suffer from food insecurity, stressing that the power outage affects the ability to cook and/or bake bread in bakeries.
“The refrigerators are not working (…) All fishing and agricultural activities have stopped,” he said.
npg/rob