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Shipments of humanitarian aid passing Israeli crossings into Gaza. (IDF Spokespersons' Office)
Last update - 19:53 27/02/2008
Gazans told to boil drinking water as chlorine supply down due to blockade
By The Associated Press
Tags: water supply, israel 

The Gaza Strip's water provider on Wednesday urged the area's 1.5 million residents to boil their drinking water, blaming a shortage of purifying chlorine on Israel's blockade of the strip.

Israel Defense Forces said no Palestinian request for chlorine was made until Wednesday, and it was urgently trying to arrange a new shipment into Gaza.

The Coastal Municipality Water Utility informed residents that sanctions have left Gaza without equipment and supplies needed to maintain the water system and chlorine deliveries stopped on January 21. More than one-third of Gaza's water supply is now untreated, said deputy director Maher Najjar, amid concern over a health disaster due to possible contamination. He appealed to the international community for help.
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Most Gaza residents do not have regular water supplies because of a shortage of fuel used to pump water. Many already use filters or buy bottled water because the quality of tap water is generally poor.

Israel imposed sanctions on Gaza after militant group Hamas seized power last June and has tightened its blockade in recent weeks in response to repeated rocket attacks on southern Israel by Gaza militants.

Under the sanctions, Israel, the main gateway for Gaza's imports and exports, has allowed only basic humanitarian goods to enter the territory and has reduced fuel and electricity supplies to the strip.

Najjar said 52 of 140 wells used to supply water to Gaza residents were out of chlorine. "I expect by the week's end all the wells will run dry of chlorine," he said.

Nafiz Alia, the utility's chlorine supplier said 65 tons of chlorine were needed per month and the last shipment into Gaza contained 30 tons forcing him to use reserve stock to make up the rest.

An IDF spokesperson said Israel only received a request from the Palestinians for chlorine on Wednesday. "We are doing our best to allow the chlorine to enter the Gaza Strip as soon as possible," the spokesperson said, adding that it's a shame the Palestinians waited so long to notify Israel.

About 100 wells in Gaza lack diesel fuel to power pumps used during frequent power outages. "When the electricity goes out, the water is knocked out as well," Najjar said.

Most Gaza residents who can afford to do so filter Gaza's salty, brackish tap water before drinking it. However, Najjar said that this does not kill the bacteria.

He said the real danger lay in children drinking untreated water.

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      1.   why do they have water? Hitler was bombed!! 20:47  |  Chris 27/02/08
      2.   Collective Punishment is a War Crime 21:34  |  Assad-u-LLAH 27/02/08
      3.   Why bother? 21:43  |  Mike 27/02/08
      4.   Why can`t they get chlorine from Egypt? 21:57  |  Motke Chabad 27/02/08
      5.   Too stupid to ask for chlorine? 22:05  |  Palestinian Brit 27/02/08
      6.   Arab`s m ust swallow their pride 22:34  |  josh 27/02/08
      7.   Mick #3 22:41  |  John 27/02/08
      8.   Why can`t they drink.... 22:51  |  leo 27/02/08
      9.   Lack of chlorine and surplus of weapons???? 22:57  |  trumpeldor 27/02/08
      10.   Thanks for the semantics lesson Pal Brit 22:59  |  MaryRose 27/02/08
      11.   Who`s Asking 23:01  |  Jimmie 27/02/08
      12.   chlorine for kassams 23:08  |  real vision 27/02/08
      13.   This isn`t a big surprise to anyone, is it? 23:08  |  MaryRose 27/02/08
      14.   More lies from from Gaza... 23:09  |  v 27/02/08
      15.   why to help your enemy 23:15  |  rikdil 27/02/08
      16.   Palestinians are not signatories, nor are Gazans 23:26  |  MaryRose 27/02/08
      17.   pal brit 00:02  |  alan 28/02/08
      18.   Hamas is good for nothing but making trouble. 00:04  |  MaryRose 28/02/08
      19.   Stop the Water Too 00:25  |  Harry 28/02/08
      20.   Collective Punishment?? Who`s Doing It, Not Israel! 00:30  |  Harry 28/02/08
      21.   border better be closed now for everything electricity also 00:47  |  ralph 28/02/08
      22.   ASSUD the Cannibal Arab Rabbit on Hamas TV promises to eat Danes 02:07  |  Genuine Tosefta 28/02/08
      23.   #4 Because Egypt isn`t the occupying power 03:48  |  Johnboy 28/02/08
      24.   #5 palbrit 03:56  |  Nemesis 28/02/08
      25.   Collective Punishement 04:21  |  Douglas Fireman 28/02/08
      26.   #16 MaryRose. A reminder for you. 05:18  |  Maureen Ann 28/02/08
      27.   Chlorine is used in making explosive devices 13:51  |  Melusine 28/02/08
      28.   I wonder why religious ppl hate ppl of other 14:54  |  the pope 28/02/08
      29.   Let them drink the sea water off Gaza 15:37  |  Marcus Longbridge 28/02/08
      30.   boil their leaders who got them into this... 16:46  |  superjew 28/02/08
      31.   Israel has been too good a neighbor 16:49  |  jewish doctor 28/02/08
      32.   to Assad-u-LLAH 17:39  |  Tziril Esther 28/02/08
      33.   Collective Suicide 17:41  |  Josh 28/02/08
      34.   To Palestinian Brit 18:32  |  Morris Valentine 28/02/08
      35.   Let them drink from the sea at Gaza 19:33  |  Ron 28/02/08
      36.   Chris should be ashamed of himself 19:39  |  Fed UP 28/02/08
      37.   #12 Makes too much sense 20:23  |  Russ 28/02/08
      38.   Re Johnboy`s post (#23) 22:37  |  Morris Valentine 28/02/08
      39.   #34 No, Morris, I have not 04:48  |  Johnboy 29/02/08
      40.   They claim to be Native but can`t even Water themselves? 08:02  |  Efox 29/02/08
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