UNICEF condemns killing of water truck drivers in northern Gaza

UNICEF, the UN’s children’s agency, has expressed outrage after water truck drivers were killed during an incident in the northern Gaza Strip, according to The National and agencies on April 18th.

Workers were reportedly struck by Israeli fire while carrying out routine humanitarian operations at a water distribution site.

The incident occurred early on the morning of April 17th at the Mansoura water filling point, where drivers were transporting water to support communities facing severe shortages.

According to agency officials, the attack resulted in the deaths of two drivers and left two additional people injured.

Reportedly, the workers had been performing regular duties as part of ongoing efforts to maintain access to clean water for large numbers of civilians, including children.

Humanitarian organisations operate at the site multiple times each day to sustain essential water trucking services for hundreds of thousands of residents.

These operations are considered critical in a region where infrastructure has been heavily damaged by ongoing conflict and where many families depend on delivered water for daily survival.

Following the incident, contractors working at the location were instructed to suspend activities until security conditions improve.

Aid agencies warned that interruptions to water distribution could have serious consequences for public health, particularly in densely populated areas where access to safe drinking water is already limited.

In a statement, UNICEF called for accountability and protection for humanitarian workers. The agency urged authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, stating that “humanitarian workers, essential service providers, and civilian infrastructure, including critical water facilities, must never be targeted.”

UNICEF also emphasised that “the protection of civilians and those delivering life-saving assistance is an obligation under international humanitarian law.”

The incident has renewed concerns about the safety of aid workers operating in conflict zones and the challenges of delivering humanitarian assistance in areas affected by ongoing violence.

Before Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in 2023, humanitarian conditions in Gaza were already dire due to the Israeli-imposed land, sea and air blockade that began in 2007.

In 2019, an estimated two-thirds of Gazan households were considered food insecure, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres described conditions in Gaza as “hell on earth” in 2021.

Israeli forces have repeatedly destroyed Gaza’s water infrastructure by bombing wells, while Jewish settlers have targeted water supplies in the Occupied Territories in an effort to displace Palestinians.

The National and agencies, Maghrebi.org