Palestinian children carry jerrycans after collecting water from a distribution point in Gaza City, Aug. 12. Over the 22 months since Israel launched its offensive, Gaza’s water access has been progressively strained.

After waking early to stand in line for an hour under the August heat, Rana Odeh returns to her tent with her jug of murky water. She wipes the sweat from her brow and strategizes how much to portion out to her two small children. From its colour alone, she knows full well it’s likely contaminated.

Thirst supersedes the fear of illness.

She fills small bottles for her son and daughter and pours a sip into a teacup for herself. What’s left she adds to a jerrycan for later.

“We are forced to give it to our children because we have no alternative,” Odeh, who was driven from

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