UAE opens Gaza pipeline to carry desalinated water from Egypt

Project to provide drinking water for tens of thousands of families in embattled enclave

The water pipeline extends 7.5km and has a capacity of more than 7.5 million litres of water a day. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The UAE on Friday opened a pipeline project to transport desalinated water from plants in Egypt into Gaza.

The initiative will provide potable water to tens of thousands of families enduring severe shortages as the war rages in the enclave, state news agency Wam reported.

It is measures 7.5km, making it the largest of its kind, and the opening of the project was organised by the UAE’s Operation Gallant Knight 3. The pipeline has a capacity of more than 7.5 million litres of water a day and will be able to serve more than one million people, Wam added.

It has been connected to Al Buraq reservoir in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, ensuring more areas of the besieged enclave gain access to clean water.

Focus on water

The pipeline project builds on other Emirati efforts in Gaza – including the establishment of six desalination plants, proving reservoirs and tankers, and maintaining wells.

The moves provide a vital lifeline for residents, helping to alleviate the water crisis impacting hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

More than 80 per cent of water facilities in Gaza have been destroyed since Israel launched its war in 2023, leaving many people struggling from dehydration on a daily basis.

In June, Unicef warned of a “man-made drought” as so much of the territory’s drinking water system was dysfunctional.

“The new water pipeline project is not merely an emergency response to the water crisis in Gaza, but rather an extension of the UAE's consistent approach to supporting the Palestinian people, especially in light of the catastrophic circumstances caused by the war,” said Sharif Al Nairab, media official for Operation Gallant Knight 3, speaking about the project last month.

“The UAE has been and continues to be the primary supporter of Gaza across various sectors, from the construction of desalination plants to the provision of water tankers, well drilling and network maintenance, all the way to this vital project that seeks to secure drinking water for the most affected areas.”

Famine in Gaza

The UN has formally declared a famine in Gaza, blaming months of Israeli restrictions that have limited the supply of food and water to more than two million people. Famine conditions are now present in Gaza city, the enclave's capital and most populous urban area, the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

The agency warned that the crisis is expected to spread to Deir Al Balah in the centre of Gaza and Khan Younis in the south by the end of September.

The report highlighted the effect on children and noted that, as of June, more than 132,000 under the age of five were suffering from malnutrition, including 41,000 in severe condition. The UN attributed the worsening humanitarian situation to Israel's restrictions on aid deliveries.