UNICEF warns of 'man-made' drought in Gaza as 44 more die

Gaza is facing a man-made drought as its water systems collapse under sustained Israeli bombardment, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on 20 June, calling attention to catastrophic shortages in water, food, and medical access across the besieged enclave.

“Children will begin to die of thirst … Just 40 per cent of drinking water production facilities remain functional,” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told reporters in Geneva. The warning follows months of deliberate Israeli strikes that have destroyed large parts of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure. Without fuel or parts, the remaining facilities are unable to function, forcing residents to rely on unsafe water sources or go without it altogether.

“The food, water, and nutrition treatments they desperately need are being blocked from reaching them. Man-made decisions that are costing lives. Israel must urgently allow the large-scale delivery of life-saving aid through all border crossings,” a UNICEF spokesperson said.

Acute watery diarrhea now accounts for one in every four disease cases recorded in Gaza. Hepatitis A, a highly contagious and potentially fatal infection, has also been confirmed.

The sense of despair mounted as Israeli forces killed at least 44 Palestinians on Friday, according to local officials. Many of those who lost their lives were reportedly attempting to obtain food — a now chilling everyday routine contributing to the deepening humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave.

Tragedy struck particularly hard south of Netzarim in central Gaza, where at least 25 (with some reports saying 35) individuals waiting for aid were gunned down by Israeli fire, the health authority overseen by Hamas said.

At least 35 Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid near Gaza’s Netzarim Corridor have been killed by Israeli fire. Will the Western media, which advocates for Israel’s human rights, say a word about this? pic.twitter.com/qIhqe7ZvrS

— Dr. Salman Arshad (@DrSalman_Arshad) June 20, 2025

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The Israel Defense Force, responding to questions from Reuters, claimed its soldiers had issued warning shots at suspected militants advancing within a crowd. An Israeli aircraft subsequently "struck and eliminated the suspects", the military added, noting that it was "aware of others being hurt in the incident" and had launched a review.

Elsewhere in Gaza, further airstrikes left at least 19 dead, including 12 people killed in a home in Deir Al-Balah, bringing Friday’s death toll to no fewer than 44.

In a statement released the same day, Hamas accused Israel of methodically attacking those seeking food aid, alleging that starvation was being wielded as a weapon. Israel has rejected these claims and, in turn, accuses Hamas of misappropriating aid — an accusation the group denies.

UNICEF has also reported a deeply troubling 50 per cent increase in malnourished children — aged six months to five years — requiring treatment between April and May. Half-a-million people are now going hungry.

UNICEF spokesman Elder, who recently visited Gaza, recounted painful accounts of women and children injured while seeking food. One of them, a young boy struck by a tank shell, later succumbed to his wounds. A lack of reliable information about aid site openings, many located in areas of ongoing combat, has led to repeated scenes of bloodshed.

The once-accessible route near Netzarim has now become perilous, particularly since the rollout of a US- and Israel-backed aid distribution system run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

“If the current more than 100-day blockade on fuel coming into Gaza does not end, children will begin to die of thirst.” - @1james_elder

Gaza’s taps are running dry as fuel crisis deepens daily struggle for families: https://t.co/9Klr5BwfZt pic.twitter.com/fvdEL5G8Yz

— UNICEF (@UNICEF) June 20, 2025

Meanwhile, in Gaza... Just another 8 killed by Israel in line for food this day

Witnesses say desperate civilians venture out at night in hopes of claiming some portion of the limited supplies handed out at dawn. This same corridor has also been used by UN convoys and humanitarian groups, with residents often risking their lives to snatch bags from trucks.

UNICEF was blunt in its assessment: the GHF, it said, was “making a desperate situation worse.”

Only a day earlier, at least 70 Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire and strikes. Among them were 12 people who had reportedly approached a GHF-operated aid location in central Gaza.

In an email to Reuters, the GHF accused Gaza health authorities of routinely sharing “inaccurate information.” It insisted Palestinians do not use the Netzarim corridor to access its nearby aid site. However, the group did not respond to questions regarding Thursday’s deaths.

Despite the accusations and chaos, the GHF claimed it had managed to distribute nearly three million meals across its sites without incident.

This devastating war, still raging months after it began, was triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which left 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.

Israel’s response has exacted a staggering toll. Nearly 55,700 Palestinians have now been killed, Gaza’s health ministry reports. The vast majority of Gaza’s population — over two million — has been displaced, and the spectre of famine continues to grow.

With agency inputs