As you are well aware, over the weekend, the Israeli military issued another displacement order in Deir al Balah spanning four neighbourhoods.Our humanitarian affairs colleagues warn that this mass displacement order has dealt yet another devastating blow to the already fragile lifelines keeping people alive across the Gaza Strip.
This directive cuts through Deir al Balah all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, further fragmenting the Strip and pushing people into overcrowded, unsafe areas with no shelter and no access to the most essential supplies needed to survive.
Initial estimates indicate that between 50,000 and 80,000 people were in the area at the time the order was issued, including 30,000 people sheltering in 57 various displacement sites. Several primary health clinics and medical points were within the newly designated area, as is the Southern Gaza Desalination Plant, and other vital water infrastructure. The plant is a main source of drinking water for internally displaced people in Al Mawasi, as it serves hundreds of thousands of people, producing about 2,500 cubic metres of water per day. The loss of this facility would be catastrophic for the people who depend on it for access to fresh water.
As of early July, 80 per cent of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities fall within the Israeli-militarized zone or in areas that have been placed under displacement orders. In June, it was estimated that 93 per cent of households have no access to water.
