It has been a long-standing lesson that “water is the source of life”. This phrase stands in cultural and religious perspectives as well as in the literal sense; clean and safe water is essential for our survival. 

The United Nations General Assembly officially recognized it as a human right on July 28, 2010, through the adoption of Resolution 64/292. The resolution states, “The right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right essential for the full enjoyment of life and all other human rights.” 

However, this right is being compromised in many regions, the most recent one in Gaza. Before the war, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza were only allowed 80 liters of water per day, falling below the international standard of 100 liters set by the World Health Organization. Today, the average water consumption for all purposes in Gaza has fallen to between 2 and 3 liters a day per person, most of which is neither clean nor safe to drink. For reference, a five-minute shower uses nearly 40 liters of water!

Such scarcity is often linked to and worsened by the destruction of infrastructure caused by daily airstrikes. It is also part of military actions, as it was reported that during recent hostilities, Israel cut off water supplies and blocked fuel imports necessary for operating desalination plants and sewage treatment facilities. 

This approach not only affects immediate access to water but also has long-term repercussions on public health, as we are already witnessing a rise in the cases of polio, cholera, hepatitis A (8 000 reported cases), typhoid fever, and skin diseases (more than 150 000 cases reported since October 2023) among other diseases resulting from the damaged water and sanitation infrastructure in Gaza. 

This example shows that basic human rights and access to essential resources like water can become indirect casualties in times of war. However, regardless of political conflicts, cutting water access or using it as a strategic weapon is considered a violation of international humanitarian law.

As war is spreading through Lebanese territories, worries are being raised about the consequences it could have on the public health in Lebanon. Thus, the widening scope of the war, if not contained, puts Lebanon at risk of rising health problems not only due to the number of injuries but also through the spread of diseases.