After more than two years of military fighting and bombardment, Gaza resembles a landscape of rubble. Despite a fragile ceasefire, there is no sign of reconstruction. The security situation is highly unstable and living conditions for the population remain catastrophic. As a result, the water supply and sanitation systems have largely collapsed.
According to the United Nations, in June 2026 around 84 per cent of households in Gaza were affected by water insecurity. 62 per cent cited drinking water as the most urgent humanitarian problem. In the densely populated makeshift shelters and tent cities, even drinking, cooking and washing are daily challenges.
Our joint emergency aid reaches 4,770 people
In light of the dire supply situation on the ground, arche nova is implementing a new emergency aid project with Palestinian Environmental Friends (PEF) from July 2026. Around 900 households in three camps in Al Mawasi near Khan Yunis are being supported. Six litres of safe drinking water are provided per person per day. A total of 4,770 people are being reached.
The drinking water comes from desalination plants and is transported by tanker to distribution points. A further 19 litres of non-potable water per person per day comes from four wells. This water is available for personal hygiene, laundry and household use. Particular attention is given to those most at risk, such as children, women, older people and people with disabilities.
Without hesitation, water supply changes everything instantly. The moment a family has safe water to drink and enough to wash with, their health begins to mend, their sense of safety returns, and their daily burden is lifted. It’s not a slow process - it’s immediate, tangible, and life-altering from day one.
Looking after septic tanks equals promoting good health
Where many people live in confined spaces, overflowing septic tanks quickly become a health risk. That is why the project also includes the emptying of flooded septic tanks at the emergency shelters and – as required – at other locations in the surrounding area. A tanker lorry fitted with a suction pump carries out the work.
arche nova emergency aid in Gaza at a glance
- Project locations in the Al Mawasi area near Khan Yunis: Ahel Alkhair Camp, Friends Camp, Taawon1 Camp
- Project start: July 2026
- Beneficiaries: 4,770 people in 900 households
- Drinking water supply: 6 litres per person per day
- Non-potable water supply: 19 litres per person per day
- Drainage of septic tanks
- Implementing partner: Palestinian Environmental Friends (PEF)
Local partnerships essential for working on the ground
The project is being implemented by Palestinian Environmental Friends. Our local partner organisation organises water treatment, transport and distribution. Water quality is checked at every stage of the supply chain, right through to the people’s water containers. Should test results indicate contamination, corrective measures are implemented immediately. arche nova has been working with PEF since 2025 and particularly values this collaboration because the context is so challenging. In the summer of 2025, 6,090 displaced people were supported through water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives. “The team’s commitment, sense of responsibility and reliability are impressive,” emphasises arche nova’s emergency aid coordinator, Lorenz Ewers.
As a small, local organisation, PEF is deeply rooted in Gaza. This proximity is crucial because conditions and needs change rapidly. arche nova works closely with the team and funds the project largely through donations. Despite several months of efforts, it has not been possible to secure institutional funding. The scale of the aid therefore remains closely tied to the support provided by donors.
In Gaza, humanitarian aid is not just important – it is a matter of survival. For countless displaced families, even the journey to a glass of clean water is a daily, gruelling struggle. Our work with arche nova is about restoring this most basic human need.
Water restores the feeling of being human again
Ayat Riad Adwan is one of the people PEF has already reached through previous projects. Her story is representative of hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Gaza. More than two years ago, the family was forced to flee their home in the north of the Palestinian Territories. Today, Ayat lives with her four children in the Canda Al Ahed camp in Khan Yunis. They share a small tent with another family. For months, Ayat walked more than a kilometre every day to a public water point and waited there for three or four hours. Sometimes the water had run out before it was her turn. Then this mother of four had to decide whether to spend her extremely limited resources on water or food.
“When the water comes regularly, I can breathe. I can give my children something to drink without fear. I can wash their little hands,” says Ayat. The water deliveries that PEF has been carrying out near her accommodation for some time now save Ayat long journeys and time. The water gives her “the feeling of being human again”.
Alaa Al-Kurd, a father of six and former construction worker, also describes this relief. Before water was delivered regularly, he often spent half a day searching for water. Since PEF began supplying water, he has been able to spend his time with his children again and look for casual work.
