Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam on Sunday raised alarm over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza combined with lack of basic human needs, saying that the unfolding events risk a raise in the number of victims of the enclave since the eruption of the confrontations.
Besides claiming the lives of more than 7,000 persons within 21 days only, the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has impeded the supply of water, food and electricity, Sewilam added.
The minister was addressing the inaugural session of the sixth edition of Cairo Water Week (CWW), which is held under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi between October 29- November 2.
Sewilam asked attendees of the session to observe a minute of silence over world martyrs as well as the Palestinian ones.
Proceedings of the sixth edition of CWW kicked off earlier in the day under the theme “Action on Adaptation in the Water Sector for Sustainability.”
During the week-long proceedings, several high-level meetings will be held along with a series of regional workshops.
This year’s CWW will introduce a novel competition titled “The Innovation Award in Water Management” to identify best practical ideas for sustainable management of water resources.
