Delivering water to desperate families in Gaza dangerous: UN

Delivering water to desperate families in the besieged Gaza Strip is a deadly pursuit because of Israeli attacks that have damaged water pipelines at water stations like the Canada Well, Canadian media reported Tuesday.

Two UNICEF truck drivers were killed in April as they attempted to deliver water to the Mansoura water filling station in northern Gaza. The deliveries are necessary because pipelines that could safely be used to transport the water have been destroyed by Israel.

The Israeli attacks threaten the survival of families.

“On the ground, the situation is pretty horrific,” Jonathan Veitch, head of UNICEF for the Palestinian territories, told the Canadian Press during a recent interview in Ottawa while he was visiting Canada.

“All we’re asking for is the basic humanitarian needs to be met through a recovery process and fixing some of these systems,” he said.

Veitch said the destruction of the water pipes means UN personnel must deliver the water, which is expensive in terms of human life and money.