Gaza's children struggle daily for clean water and food

At a displacement camp in the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, 10-year-old Maysara Zaqout wakes at sunrise as she does every day. She prepares her water containers and stands with her 5-year-old brother Jawad outside their tent, hoping a water tanker will pass by.

After hours without a water truck, Maysara heads to an English class inside the camp's educational tent. But soon after, she hears cheering: the water truck has arrived. Maysara and other children immediately leave class and run to fetch their containers. This has been her routine—and that of thousands of Gaza's children—for over two years amid Israel's war.

“My family has no water in our tent—no drinking water, no water to wash dishes or use the toilet. I have to move fast to get water before it runs out,” Maysara told Al Jazeera. Her small body sways side to side under the weight of two water cans. Eventually, with a smile tinged with pain and exhaustion, she manages to carry about 20 liters of water back to her family of six.

A burden on young shoulders

The daily struggle for clean water and food doesn't end when Gaza's children return to their tents. Yamen Saleh, 12, and his 6-year-old brother Aman spend most of their day searching and waiting for water trucks and community kitchens. The work has taken a significant physical toll on them.

“Every time I pull the water back to the tent, I feel tired and in pain, especially in my shoulders and back. Sometimes I trip because the cans are too heavy. It's painful and embarrassing,” Yamen shared.

Their mother, Fidaa Saleh, is heartbroken: “Seeing my children lying inside the tent, exhausted from the weight of displacement life, breaks me. The daily trips to fetch water and food drain all their energy—energy that should be spent on learning and playing like other children around the world. It affects their appetite and sleep quality too.”

Dr. Sumaya Salah, a physician working at clinics in central Gaza, said the exhausting daily chores children perform cause muscular problems such as strains and spasms, as well as more serious conditions like hernias and scoliosis.

Dr. Salah recounted the case of 9-year-old Raghad, who endured multiple famines with her family in northern Gaza and has to carry water over long distances daily. Raghad has been diagnosed with scoliosis. Without proper treatment, she could face serious and permanent complications.

According to Dr. Salah, these health issues were rare among children before the war erupted in October 2023, but she now sees such cases daily. The problems may persist until Gaza is rebuilt after the war's devastation, which has killed more than 73,400 Palestinians and wounded thousands more, while forcing most of the population to live in displacement camps.

Israel has refused to allow reconstruction to begin despite a “ceasefire” declared last October, and continues to block agreements that would let Palestinians rebuild what Israel has destroyed. International aid organizations also face major hurdles. Groups like World Central Kitchen and UNICEF have been forced to cut services this year, partly due to Israeli restrictions on aid trucks entering Gaza and funding shortfalls.

UNICEF estimates that 82% of families in Gaza lack water for daily living, and 70% cannot access the 6 liters per person per day it calls “far below the minimum emergency standard.” UNICEF also says nearly 90% of Gaza's water and sanitation infrastructure has been destroyed.

Mohammed Mosleh, mayor of the Maghazi camp, said the camp suffers severe water shortages due to several factors, including a lack of spare parts and fuel for generators and water pumps because of the Israeli blockade. Israel's expansion of its control zones, contrary to last year's ceasefire deal, also restricts local authorities' access to wells. Maghazi has only one regional water tanker serving more than 5,000 families.

“It's not fair”

The struggle to find food and water drives families to despair. For children, it's even harder to accept. Huda Zaqout, Maysara's mother, says her daughter often bursts into tears if she returns empty-handed.

“I was shocked when my daughter came into the tent sobbing and holding an empty bowl. She wasn't just sad that her effort was wasted—she was overwhelmed because she couldn't bring food back for her family,” Huda said.

“She gets sad and angry. She leaves early and queues at the community kitchen for hours in the sun. When it's her turn, the food is gone. It's not fair,” Maysara recalled.

Fidaa also sees how daily hardships have psychologically affected her children. “It has shaped who they are. Most of the time, they think and talk about daily responsibilities like adults. They've changed a lot—become more stubborn, quieter, and less expressive,” she said.

“I can't hold back tears when my children talk about pre-war memories. They miss school, home-cooked meals, our family's weekly outings, and their faces light up. Those memories have become a way for them to find a little happiness in this harsh reality,” Fidaa confided.

Hope through education

Despite displacement and the burden of survival, Gaza's children and their families still hold onto hope for a better future.

“We couldn't bring most of our belongings when we fled our home in northern Gaza when the war started, but I insisted on bringing my children's certificates to remind them of the importance of learning,” Fidaa said. “Today, I'm happy that I can send them to school and encourage them to join educational and recreational activities whenever possible. I'm very proud of my son Yamen—despite all challenges, he's become the captain of the camp's dabke dance troupe.”

Mohammed Zaqout, Maysara's father and head of the displacement camp management, said the administration has set up educational tents where volunteer teachers teach children basic subjects. It also organizes cultural and entertainment activities to help ease their stress.

“My message to the world is summed up in a line by the renowned Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish: 'We love life if we can find a way to it.' That's our camp's motto. We dream of a safe and dignified life where children can play, learn, and grow up like other children around the world,” Mohammed said.

As for Maysara, she dreams only of a normal childhood. “I wish I had my own room and lots of toys. I wish I could go to a real school, wear a nice uniform, and have my hair neatly combed. I wish water came through pipes and there was always running water so I never had to carry it,” Maysara said.