For Gaza families, as for families around the world, access to drinking water is a basic human right.
Connections to potable water in Khan Younis have been a long-awaited and welcomed arrival!
ANERA’s engineering team is repairing the dilapidated “Western Line” water system and installing new pipelines. Six projects have been completed in 15 days, connecting 45 families to clean water lines. Each project costs $10,000 to complete and was funded by private donations.
“Our life was difficult before,” says Om Rami. “We didn’t have water for three or four days at a time so we would pile up laundry and dishes, waiting for clean-up.”
Om Rami has lived in the Khan Younis area for 23 years in a house with no roof over the kitchen or living room. There is one room in the house to accommodate Om Rami, her husband and their five girls and four boys. “In winter, water floods the place. Every year, we suffer a lot during the winter season,” she explains, “So we basically live and sleep in this one room.” Along with the access to clean drinking water, Om Rami says she has received some plastic sheeting to cover the living area too.
Preschooler Reem, Om Rami’s youngest daughter, is delighted that clean water now comes into her home. Om Rami explains: “We used to go to the nearby mosque to fill two gallons of drinking water. Otherwise families here would experience kidney infections because of the contaminated water.”
“Since the implementation of the project, there have been no complaints about bad water,” says Raed Laham, ANERA field engineer.
