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Concern funds new water filtration unit for Gaza hospital
A new water filtration machine has begun providing thousands of litres of clean water daily to Gaza’s last operational children’s hospital in Gaza City, as a result of funding and technical support provided by Concern Worldwide and its partner on the ground, CESVI.
The 150 bed Al Rantisis Hospital in Gaza city is providing daily emergency care to up to 350 patients. The reverse osmosis machine is producing 15,000 litres of clean water daily. In addition to supporting the daily needs of the hospital, it is enabling the efficient functioning of 13 kidney dialysis machines.
“This equipment is incredibly difficult to source in Gaza – this is the last unit of its kind available in Gaza -- and the life changing impact it will have cannot be overstated,” said Peter Doyle, Head of Emergency Operations, Concern Worldwide.
The filter unit is mobile and light weight and can be easily disconnected in a few minutes for transport to a safe location if needed.
Only 79 water wells remain accessible and functional across the Gaza Strip, compared with more than 220 in April. At the beginning of July, another key water reservoir in Khan Younis became inaccessible due to displacement orders. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warned that “any damage to the reservoir could lead to a collapse of the city’s main distribution of the water system, with grave humanitarian consequences.”
Lack of access to clean water is having a devastating impact on health. Teams in Gaza report that rates of acute watery diarrhoea among patients have reached 39 per cent. Khan Younis and Gaza governorates are the hardest hit, with densely overcrowded shelters and little access to clean water exacerbating the spread of disease.
In partnership with Concern, CESVI continues to truck clean water for drinking and cooking to displaced communities in 10 locations in Khan Younis, Deir al Balah and Gaza City. So far, we have reached over 100,000 people with deliveries taking place daily, or every other day, according to need.
CESVI is also working to improve water and sanitation services in the Gaza Strip by building latrines, installing cisterns, conducting hygiene promotion sessions and distributing hygiene kits containing soap, water containers and sanitary pads.
Concern is part of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)'s Middle East Humanitarian Appeal. Installation of the filtration unit was supported by generous donations from the UK public to the appeal.
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