Palestinian children sliding down a water canal used for irrigation to cool off as temperatures in the West Bank city of Jericho soared to 44 deg C on Tuesday.

Water scarcity is a major problem in the arid climate of Jericho, where summer temperatures often reach 45 deg C. Families must rely on wells and springs for cultivating the land, drinking and other domestic purposes. The largest of the five natural springs is Ein Al Sultan.

In 2006, with funding from the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development and assistance from the Jericho municipality, the American Near East Refugee Aid completed a project to modernise the spring through a state-of-the-art irrigation system.