Water is Life and Life is a Struggle in Gaza
by Anera
In the crowded displacement camps of central Gaza, two stories – one of a young man recently returned from Europe and another of a determined grandmother – capture the fight for survival amid one of the worst humanitarian crises in the region’s history. For both, life now revolves around one basic need: water.
From Sweden’s Streets to Lines in Gaza
In a dusty alley of a displacement camp in Nuseirat, 27-year-old Karam Anan stands with an empty jug in hand, waiting for his turn to fill it. The sun beats down, and the line stretches long with others who, like him, are displaced and desperate for clean water.
Just two months before war broke out in October 2023, Karam never imagined this would be his reality. After seven years living in Sweden where he worked in the auto trade, enjoying a comfortable life in Stockholm and holding Swedish citizenship, Karam had returned to Gaza to visit family. That visit has now extended into an indefinite stay, as he finds himself trapped by the war and responsible for supporting 50 members of his extended family.
“I came here on a visit, and within weeks, everything collapsed,” he says. “Now I share responsibility with my father – providing water, food, charging phones, and anything else to keep the family going in the middle of all this destruction.”
Once a thriving young businessman, Karam now lives in a tattered tent in the Nuseirat camp. “I used to live in a nice neighborhood in Stockholm. I had comfort, money and a luxury car,” he says, with disbelief. “Now I spend my days chasing water trucks or looking for a can of food.”
The war forced Karam’s family to flee their home in Gaza’s Zahra City, moving repeatedly – from Khan Younis to Rafah, and then to Nuseirat. When a temporary ceasefire allowed them to return to their home in January, they found a pile of rubble.
“There wasn’t even space to pitch a tent,” he says. “So we stayed here in the camp.”
Karam’s frustration is palpable. “This life feels like hell. People here have reached their limit. We’re not superhuman. We’re just people, with finite energy and worn-out nerves.” He compares the life he knew to his current circumstances: “If life in Sweden was at zero, then here we’re 100 light years below that.”
Despite holding a passport that could let him leave, Karam chose to stay. “I couldn’t abandon my parents and siblings. We understand what family means. My life isn’t whole without them.”
Survival Management Means Prioritizing Water
Fetching water has become a full-time job. “I spend hours every day waiting in line, then carrying it back to the tent,” he explains. “When the truck comes, you see people running like it’s life or death. Children, women, the elderly – everyone. And the water never suffices.”
The absence of consistent water delivery takes a toll on every aspect of life. “Every day the truck is delayed, the crisis grows. Children cry from thirst, women can’t wash, preparing meals becomes more complicated.”
Karam has drained his savings trying to keep his family afloat. “I spent everything on flour, canned food, batteries, and water. A kilo of lentils is now a dream. We’re living on Paris-level prices in hellish conditions.”
Despite everything, he keeps his sense of humor – and humanity. “Even the cat in our tent joins to eat whatever we eat,” he says. “I haven’t lost my humanity. That alone keeps me going – even if it means carrying water every single day.”
A Grandmother’s Daily Struggle
Just across the same camp in Nuseirat, another figure stands at a water truck: 64-year-old Fatima Al-Mallalha. With her sun-worn face and hunched shoulders, she waits among the crowds, water containers in hand, surrounded by grandchildren.
Displaced from Gaza City’s Al-Zaitoun neighborhood since October 2023, Fatima now lives in a makeshift tent near the beach. “We bathe once a week – sometimes even less – and count every drop of water,” she says. “Water has become more precious than gold.”
Fatima and her family have been displaced five times since the war began, each time moving in search of safety that never lasts. A brief return to their destroyed home during January’s ceasefire ended in heartbreak and yet another flight back to Nuseirat.
“There’s nowhere left for us,” she says. “The war keeps chasing us to our last breath….There’s no electricity, no toilet, no running water. Sand gets into our blankets, and we cook over fire. Even seawater is a resource now.”
What weighs heaviest on her is the burden of water. “Some days the trucks come. Other days, they don’t. When they don’t, I walk, despite my age and illness. I wait in line for hours, carrying heavy jugs back to my family.”
Her family of seven children and more than thirty grandchildren all share the burden. “Each child has a role. But what pains me is seeing them carry jugs and standing in the sun. Their childhood is gone.” She adds, “We don’t want luxury, just consistency. Water is life.”
The Operational Reality: Anera’s Role
Medhat Abu Al-Ola, field coordinator for Anera’s water projects in Gaza, paints the picture: “The water situation is disastrous. There’s no fuel to operate desalination plants or water trucks. We manage to fill just 50 cubic meters (13,208 gallons) daily for distribution in central Gaza – shared among Nuseirat, Al-Zawaida, and Deir al-Balah. That’s hardly enough.”
Medhat explains the enormous pressure at each delivery site. “Crowds gather immediately. People are desperate.”
Despite challenges, Anera’s team rigorously checks for safety – taste, chlorine, pH balance – and delivers as fairly as possible. But constraints are severe. “We only reach each area two days per week. With closed crossings and no fuel, our work is temporary and unsustainable.”
Anera’s Water Trucking Program
While humanitarian blockades make it difficult to provide aid, Anera is distributing potable water via water trucks across Gaza. Community representatives in the north and south alert residents of truck arrival times, providing over 80,000 people with three liters of water a day.
Residents don’t only need clean water to drink; they need it for hygiene and sanitation as well. By supplying gallons of potable water, Anera protects residents from water-borne diseases such as pneumonia, dysentery, skin infections, and even rare cases of polio.
Water Is Life
For both Karam and Fatima, survival in Gaza now hinges on water.
Fatima sums it up: “We ration what little we have. When the trucks come, we thank God. When they don’t, we spend the day fearing what tomorrow will bring.”
Karam echoes her thoughts. “We’re not asking for much – just to be treated as human beings. Just to have water regularly and fairly.”
From a young man torn between two worlds, to a grandmother lugging heavy jugs, their stories reveal not just Gaza’s water crisis, but its human cost.
In Gaza, water is no longer just a need. It’s a symbol of dignity, survival, and the fight for humanity.