The UAE and Egypt Launch a 7-Kilometer Project to Pump Drinking Water from Egypt to Gaza

Egypt and the UAE: Water Desalination Project for Gaza

The UAE and Egypt Launch a 7-Kilometer Project to Pump Drinking Water from Egypt to Gaza

The UAE has begun implementing a new project to transport desalinated water from Egypt to the southern Gaza Strip via a 6.7-kilometer pipeline, as part of humanitarian efforts aimed at alleviating the worsening water crisis in the besieged Strip.

According to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), the project is part of the "Operation Gallant Knight 3" interventions launched in mid-July. It includes the construction of a 315-mm diameter pipeline linking a desalination plant on the Egyptian side to the displacement area extending between Rafah and Khan Yunis.

15 liters per person per day, given the destruction of 80% of the infrastructure

The project aims to provide approximately 600,000 affected people with an average of 15 liters of clean water per day, at a time when the Palestinian Water Authority estimates that more than 80% of water facilities in Gaza are out of service due to shelling and the interruption of supplies. With Israeli supplies cut off and humanitarian aid in short supply, most of Gaza's 2.4 million residents resort to brackish well water or limited shipments from international organizations, often hampered by security and logistical conditions.

Parallel Well Drilling and Sewage Maintenance Projects

In parallel with the pipeline, official sources indicate that the UAE is also funding projects to drill and maintain water wells in several areas of Gaza, in addition to supporting sewage network repairs and sending dedicated tankers to transport fresh water to the most affected areas.

This move comes amid repeated warnings from the United Nations and relief organizations of an impending health and environmental disaster in the Strip, particularly in the densely populated south, where access to safe water sources is increasingly difficult.

A Broader International Intervention Is Urgently Needed

Despite the importance of the project, observers believe that addressing the water crisis in Gaza requires a collective international response, including providing fuel to operate desalination and treatment plants, rehabilitating damaged networks, and opening effective humanitarian corridors to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of vital supplies.