West Bank and Gaza Strip residents continuously suffer severe water shortages. In the West Bank, not enough water is provided to meet the population’s needs, whereas the main concern in Gaza is the poor quality of available water. Access to water and proper sanitation is a basic right enshrined in international covenants to which Israel is a signatory. On 28 July 2010, the UN General Assembly explicitly recognized the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights. Shortly after, in September 2010, the UN Human Rights Council affirmed that the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation is derived from the right to an adequate standard of living.
The West Bank