UN Says War Took Toll on Gaza Clean Water Access

A picture shows a street in Gaza City's Rimal area that was bombed by an Israeli air strike. (File/AFP)
A picture shows a street in Gaza City's Rimal area that was bombed by an Israeli air strike. (File/AFP)
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UN Says War Took Toll on Gaza Clean Water Access

A picture shows a street in Gaza City's Rimal area that was bombed by an Israeli air strike. (File/AFP)
A picture shows a street in Gaza City's Rimal area that was bombed by an Israeli air strike. (File/AFP)

The United Nations says approximately 800,000 people in Gaza do not have regular access to clean piped water, as nearly 50 percent of the water network was damaged in the recent fighting.

Quoting Gaza’s public works and housing ministry, the UN ‘s office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said nearly 17,000 residential and commercial units have been damaged or destroyed in the 11-day campaign.

These include 769 housing and commercial units that have been rendered uninhabitable, at least 1,042 units in some 258 buildings which have been destroyed and another 14,538 units that have suffered minor damage, according to The Associated Press.

A cease-fire took effect Friday after an 11-day campaign that left more than 250 dead — the vast majority Palestinians — and brought widespread devastation to the already impoverished Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

The UN said 53 education facilities, six hospitals and 11 primary health care centers have been damaged since May 10.

One health center was severely damaged, the UN said, while one hospital is not operational because of lack of electricity. Schools in Gaza remain closed, affecting almost 600,000 children.



Tunisian President Reshuffles Cabinet Ahead of Presidential Vote

Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo
Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo
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Tunisian President Reshuffles Cabinet Ahead of Presidential Vote

Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo
Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo

Tunisian President Kais Saied announced on Sunday a broad cabinet reshuffle of 19 ministers that included those for defense, foreign affairs and the economy, ahead of a presidential election on Oct. 6.

The presidency said in a statement that Khaled Shili would be the new defense minister and Mohamed Ali Nafti the foreign affairs minister.

Saied earlier this month sacked Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani, replacing him with Kamel Maddouri, the social affairs minister.
The ministers of finance, justice, and the interior kept their positions.
The cabinet reshuffle comes amid financial crisis and widespread discontent over recurring water and electricity outages in many parts of the country and a shortage of some goods and medicines, in a move likely aimed at injecting new blood and attracting voters.
Saied, who consolidated a power grab in 2021 after he shut down the elected parliament, is running for re-election against two candidates.

Tunisian opposition parties and human rights groups have accused the authorities of using "arbitrary restrictions" and intimidation to exclude contenders from the electoral race and pave the way for the re-election of Saied.