The United Nations Children’s Fund has issued a dire warning: children in Gaza may soon die of thirst. With water infrastructure devastated and fuel supplies blocked for months, the Strip is now on the brink of a man-made drought.

Speaking in Geneva, UNICEF’s James Elder painted a grim picture, only 40% of Gaza’s drinking water systems are still functional. The lack of clean water, he said, is not due to natural disaster but deliberate policy. Fuel, essential to pump and purify water, has been withheld by Israel since early March. As temperatures soar, dehydration threatens to claim the lives of Gaza’s youngest.

The crisis doesn’t end with water. UNICEF also reported an alarming spike in child malnutrition, with hospital admissions for hunger-related illnesses rising sharply between April and May. Nearly half a million Palestinians are now battling extreme hunger.

Palestinians and humanitarian agencies alike are losing faith in the so-called "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation", a U.S.- and Israeli-backed aid system that has failed to meet even the most basic needs. Instead of relief, it has brought chaos and bloodshed. Eyewitnesses and aid workers say Israeli forces have routinely fired on crowds gathered near aid trucks, turning desperation into death.

From destroyed homes to collapsing hospitals, Gaza’s children are now facing their most basic enemy: thirst. And with every day that fuel is blocked and aid is weaponised, hope runs dry.