The call comes as ICRC teams repair water and sewage systems in Gaza that were badly damaged during the 3 week Israeli military operations in January. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, one fifth of the population had no direct access to drinking water and relied on water purchased from private suppliers. Today, thousands of people still have no access to running water.

The treatment of sewage remains a problem. Gaza's biggest wastewater treatment plant in Sheikh Ajleen, treating raw sewage from some 400,000 people, has been out of order since it was hit by a shell during the second week of the conflict. Raw sewage poured directly into residential areas, agricultural lands and the Mediterranean Sea posing a serious public health threat. A main sewage pipe line was repaired by a team of ICRC and Palestinian engineers on 22nd January, but extensive repair work needs to be carried out before the treatment plant is fully operational.

However repair efforts have been hampered by delays in obtaining approval from the Israeli authorities to bring in pipes and spare parts for Sheikh Ajleen and other water treatment plants.

"The first thing people ask us for is water and electricity", says Marek Komarzynski, ICRC water engineer. "That is what they need to lead anything like normal lives."

Gaza's water infrastructure was in a poor state even before the recent conflict as Israel's closure policy had greatly restricted the supply of materials to maintain the system over the past 18 months.

"Of course it is an emergency situation", says Farid Ashour, site manager with the Coastal Municipalities Water Unit, that works with the ICRC on repairing and rebuilding Gaza's sewage and water treatment system. "We are all suffering from the closures and we are suffering from the lack of materials. By ICRC we think we are doing something good to the people and they are really helpful and they are helping the Palestinians."

Before the recent outbreak of hostilities, hospitals were already struggling to provide clean water for their patients. Those on kidney dialysis machines were particularly badly hit.

Working with the Ministry of Health, over the past two years the ICRC has also been installing water purification systems in Gaza's main hospitals.

Roughly a quarter of the estimated 1.2 billion people unable to obtain clean drinking water are in war torn countries. 15 % of the 2.6 billion people without access to proper sanitation live in conflict affected areas.



SHOT LIST

Date: 18.12.08 to 25.01.09
Location: Gaza
Production: ICRC
Languages: Arabic and English
Formats: DVCAM 4.3 and DV 16:9
Duration: 9' 13''
Copyright: ICRC access all

00.0 Bombs over Gaza
00.11 Sirens and people fleeing
00.37 Travelling shot destruction plus series of damaged buildings
00.59 ICRC car passing a damaged mosque
01.10 Sheikh Ajleen water treatment plant Gaza
01.43 Broken pipes
01.59 ICRC assessment team
02 04 Synch: Exchange between Gaza resident and ICRC team in Arabic

We dont have access to anything. Our problem is that we want you to come and see the mess that we are in.(Gaza city resident).

02.09 Ok but first we have to fix the major problem. We have a big problem here.(ICRC field officer).
Fine but we would like you to come and see the problem we have and then can come back here.(Gaza resident)

02.17 Donkey cart crossing sewage water
02 28 Exteriors of Shifa Hospital Gaza
02 37 Stretcher patients
02 51 patients in intensive care

03'08 Exterior Nasser Mubarak hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza
03'16 Antiquated water purification system Nasser Mubarak hospital
03'39
Synch: Marianne Whittington, ICRC health delegate

"There are 70 patients, who on a regular basis two or three times a week, come to the chemo dialysis unit in Nasser hospital. The quality of the water for the haemodialysis machines is very important for the health of patients. It is extremely important and it has been some time since this water purification system has received any real maintenance because of the lack of spare parts."

04'09 New water purification system installed by the ICRC Nasser Mubarak hospital
04'28 Dialysis patients
04'58
Synch: Elderly dialysis patient in Arabic at Nasser Mubarak Hospital, Khan Younis, Gaza. (no name). In Arabic.

"I am very happy. This unit that the ICRC has built has improved the quality of water that we dialysis patients need."

05'14 installation of sewage pumping station at Tel Sultan hospital, Rafah
05'43 Sewage entering Rafah lagoon
06'03 Rafah water treatment plant
06'36 Set up Farid Ashour, site manager Coastal Municipalities Water Unit with ICRC engineer
"Of course it is an emergency situation. We are all suffering from the closures and we are suffering from the lack of materials. By ICRC we think we are doing something good to the people and they are really helpful and they are helping the Palestinians."

06'59 Delivering concrete blocks to line reservoir in Rafah
07'21 Lining Rafah reservoir with concrete blocks

07'47 Robert Mardini, Head of ICRC Water and Habitat Unit
"It is extremely difficult to conceive life without water. People need water to drink, to cook, they need water to bath, for hygiene. Hospitals need water, consume big amount of water, primary health care centres, so there is no question about the importance of water and this is why during armed conflicts, parties to the conflict under IHL have the obligation to protect all infrastructures that provide those essential services to the civilian population and by no means should those infrastructures and services be disrupted throughout of the conflict.

08'31 The ICRC's response is based on the needs of the people affected by armed conflict. To achieve this, we have first to have a dialogue with the parties to the conflict in order to get access to these problematic areas where the people are. And then to have a dialogue with the persons in charge of running water systems, sewage systems, primary health care centres, hospitals, camps, detention centres, in order that our programmes provide concrete solutions to those people in need, regardless of which side they are on."

09'13 ENDS