Arab News Japan
A Palestinian resident in Jabaliya camp has developed a new way of purifying water amidst the Israeli war in hopes of desalinating the water so that he and others can safely drink it.
Ahmed Atef Afana has been displaced for more than 50 days and has been affected by the water crisis in Gaza. “Unfortunately, we have no water,” he said. “The water crisis here is really bad. You could say only 1% can hope of getting water.”
Afana started using a homemade purification system to remove the salt from the water using stones, sand, cotton, and charcoal. “I thought I could combine all these aspects together and experiment with the sea water to see what I could come up with,” he said.
His water desalinating system has received positive comments on social media, with many people on Instagram praising him for his resilience and creativity.
“I used to think what I would do if the world was ending and I needed to be creative to survive. Palestinians have shown me everything I need to know,” said one user.
“This is truly incredible and wise. Palestinian people always find a way, no matter the circumstances,” another user said.
According to Palestine’s health ministry, the Gaza death toll has surpassed 38,900, with more than 89,000 Palestinians injured since Oct. 7. Approximately 1 million residents have been displaced or uprooted. 10.4% of 17,757 children screened by the United Nations between Jan. and May face extreme malnutrition.