A new entertainment phenomenon known as the “Water Challenge” has spread on Arab and Western social media platforms. It aims to provide fun and exciting content to the audience, as participants puncture a bottle of water and film themselves while spraying it on their heads while dancing in a circular motion, with the addition of specific music.
The challenge quickly sparked a wave of anger and resentment among the locals. Gaza…and supporters of the Palestinian cause, due to the interest of some Arab activists and celebrities on social media in implementing the challenge at a time when children in Gaza dream of getting a drop of water to quench their thirst due to the Israeli aggression on the Strip for 10 months.
The challenge also raised some questions about why water is wasted without benefiting from it, especially in light of the suffering of many people around the world from the effects of wars that cause a severe shortage of water.
Arab activists, journalists and bloggers from Gaza participated in this trend in their own way, criticizing the waste of water in this way at a time when the people of Gaza need every drop of water and no one can bring water to them or provide it to the children there.
#Water_trend pic.twitter.com/2jptKYVlOL
— Mahmoud Abbas (@Mahmoud3bbas) August 7, 2024
Journalist Abdullah Al-Attar posted a video clip on his social media accounts of a little girl from Gaza participating in the water challenge in her own way, saying: “At a time when some people are preoccupied with trends, we are struggling to get water, and we walk distances to get it.”
In terms of trends, it is not time for it now.
In terms of the water, I will not spill it.
We have traveled long distances just to fill our water bottles
When it comes to rain, its been 10 months of bombs dropping on us. pic.twitter.com/SKL9UbBLvm— Abdullah Al-Attar (@abdallahatar) August 6, 2024
Jordanian blogger and comedian Ayman Abli also participated in the challenge, but in his own way, and sent a message of criticism to everyone who participated in it. Abli said, reproachfully: “This is our big thing to play with and make a trend, but we cannot allow water to reach our people in Gaza, and it is too big for us.”
One blogger commented on the spread of the challenge among Arabs, saying, “At a time when the water trend is spreading… among families and friends… there are those who stand in long lines for hours to get a drop… there on the other side in a place called Gaza.”
Tweeters pointed out that it is not only the people of Gaza who suffer from water shortages, as the Sudanese displaced and refugees also share the same suffering, as a result of the ongoing fighting between… Sudanese army AndRapid Support Forces. Which led to the destruction of the country's infrastructure and water sources, making obtaining clean water almost impossible in many Sudanese areas.
For this reason, access to clean water has become a distant dream for many families in both Gaza and Sudan, who struggle daily to secure their basic water needs, amidst increasing political complexities and environmental and economic challenges.
Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia return to Sudan due to lack of security and food#Kind #Sudan pic.twitter.com/dy7XErRgNf
– Tayba Satellite Channel (@TaybaSD) August 8, 2024
For his part, writer Khaled Falah Al-Azmi commented on the “X” platform, saying: “We need to deeply reflect on our actions, as wasting water does not only express unjustified waste, but also constitutes a blatant disregard for the suffering of the poor who consider obtaining clean water a distant dream.
He advised us to be more aware of our responsibilities towards the use of natural resources, and to work towards building a world where justice and fairness are within everyone’s reach, instead of running after trends and applying them superficially.”
We need to think deeply about our actions.
Wasting water is not only wasteful, it is a disregard for the suffering of the poor who consider clean water an unattainable dream.
Let's be more conscious and responsible in our use of water, to build a more equitable world for all.
Not any trend that you run after and implement!!!#Water_trend pic.twitter.com/j55xyL6Evd
— Khaled Falah Al-Azmi (@KhaledFAlazmi) August 8, 2024
