The United Nations today called for immediate measures to relieve a crisis in the provision of water and sanitation in the Gaza Strip, dpa reported. According to UN aid coordinator Maxwell Gaylard, 60 per cent of the salient's 1.5 million Palestinians do not have regular access to drinking water, while 10,000 have no access to the water network. In addition, the UN estimated that between 50-80 million litres of untreated or nor partially treated sewage is dumped into the Mediterranean. Gaylard say the situation amounted to a breach of human rights, saying: "The deterioration and breakdown of water and sanitation facilities in Gaza is compounding an already severe and protracted denial of human dignity in the Gaza Strip." The UN official blamed a blockade imposed on the Strip in June 2007 by Israel for creating the crisis, and called on Israel to allow full and unrestricted access for spare parts and materials critically needed to restore Gaza's water and sanitation services. "At the heart of this crisis is a steep decline in standards of living for the people of Gaza, characterized by erosion of livelihoods, destruction and degradation of basic infrastructure, and a marked downturn in the delivery and quality of vital services in health, water and sanitation," added Gaylard.
