Gaza is facing a man-made drought as its water systems collapse, the United Nations' children agency said on Friday.

"Children will begin to die of thirst [...] Just 40% of drinking water production facilities remain functional," Unicef spokesperson James Elder told reporters in Geneva.

Elder noted that the electricity outage since Oct.7, 2023 has made fuel essential to operate water production and distribution systems that serve more than two million Palestinians.

He warned that the blockade, which has persisted for over 100 days, threatens children’s lives with thirst, amid a growing spread of disease and deteriorating health conditions.

He described the situation as "a man-made drought," stressing that the problem is not logistical or technical, but political, and that it could be resolved quickly with political will, as the availability of fuel would allow hundreds of wells to resume operation within a day.

Elder also underlined that fuel is vital for running hospitals, oxygen generators, and life-support systems, pointing out that the blockade not only halts supplies but threatens survival itself.

Unicef emphasised that this is the most critical moment since the war began, with a near-total blockade in place, humanitarian aid sidelined, children continuing to die daily, and a deliberate fuel crisis jeopardising the most basic element of life: water.

WAM