Gaza – Ma’an – The UN children’s agency UNICEF says it plans to begin installing two desalinization stations in Rafah and Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Saji Mughanni, of the UNICEF information office said in a statement that the equipment for the two installations was shipped to Gaza last Thursday through the Kerem Shalom crossing. The equipment will be installed on two wells with a total capacity of 50 cubic meters of drinkable fresh water per hour.

He added that about 40,000 people in Gaza from these stations which are expected to start functioning in two months.

According to Mughanni, 60% of Gaza Strip’s population has suffered a shortage drinkable water for a long period of time. He said about 10,000 Gaza residents are not connected to any water network at all.

UNICEF says it plans to install more wells, rehabilitate water and sewage networks, and install more desalinization plants.