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“Without water there is no life; it is important for animals, plants and people. During the month of Ramadan, we recognise the importance of water because we don’t eat or drink for the day,” said ten-year-old Nour, a student at Al-Qahera Primary School, Gaza city.
“I remember one day when I came home from school, I was so thirsty because there was no drinking water. I couldn’t wait for my father to return from work and fill our tank, so I decided to knock on my neighbour’s door and ask for some water. It was a great feeling to drink after being thirsty for so long!”
Last year, Islamic Relief received over £1.5 million in zakat donations from the UK alone. A portion of this money was used to bring water to coastal schools in Gaza. One school to benefit from this project is Al Qahera Primary School. The science teacher, Mona, explained, “Local water is salty and has a high level of nitrates because of the poor sewage network and the over-use of herbicides.
If the water is polluted it can cause a lot of diseases in the intestines like amoeba and diarrhoea. Not only is water so scarce, but we are not able to import tools and filtering or sterilisation equipment because of the siege. The quality of our water needs to be checked monthly and the tanks need regular replacements, which are difficult to find.”
Over the last year Islamic Relief improved water access for over 120,000 Gazans by digging and rehabilitating water wells, constructing a water network and providing coastal schools with clean drinking water.
This year, Islamic Relief is installing 14 additional wells across Gaza which will provide water for drinking and for farming. Improving access to water sources will help increase the harvest of local fruit and vegetables which can reduce the need for importation and help support local businesses by increasing their output.
The headmistress of Al-Qahera Primary School explained that teachers used to pay for the school’s water out of their own pockets, and sometimes parents would volunteer to cover the cost.
“We thank Islamic Relief for providing the school with drinking water. You play a huge role in improving our situation through such projects. A drop of water can make a real change.”
Help us to bring water to even more people next year. Support Islamic Relief with your zakat donation
Find out more about Zakat
Find out more about Islamic Relief in Gaza
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