The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has issued a dire warning, emphasising that limited access to clean water and sanitation amidst Israel’s continuous bombardment poses a severe threat to children in Gaza.
The UN agency revealed on Wednesday that massive numbers of displaced people in the southern Gaza Strip, as a result of the ongoing war, are receiving only 1.5 to 2 litres of water per day—far below the recommended amount for survival. Compounded by restricted aid deliveries and infrastructure destruction, this crisis places a substantial number of vulnerable children at risk of disease.
As Israel’s assault persists, hundreds of thousands, approximately half of them children, have sought refuge in the city of Rafah since early December. These displaced individuals are in urgent need of essential provisions such as food, water, shelter, medicines, and protection. UNICEF highlighted the critical state of the water and sanitation systems in the city as demand continues to rise.
UNICEF stipulates that 3 litres of water per day are necessary for survival, a number that increases to 15 liters when considering water needed for washing and cooking.
“Access to sufficient amounts of clean water is a matter of life and death, and children in Gaza have barely a drop to drink,” emphasised UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. She expressed concern that children and their families are resorting to water from unsafe sources, which are often highly salinated or polluted. Without access to safe water, the risk of deprivation and disease for children in Gaza intensifies.
Using unsafe water and lacking hygiene poses a “dramatic” risk factor for children, who are more susceptible to waterborne diseases, dehydration, and malnutrition, according to UNICEF.
The inadequate humanitarian aid deliveries exacerbate the population’s struggle for basic survival, leading to shortages in water and hygiene products. This challenge is further compounded by the destruction of a significant percentage of sanitation facilities or their inability to accommodate the large number of displaced Palestinians congregating in specific locations.
“We are doing everything we can to meet the needs of the people in Gaza, but the equipment and supplies we’ve managed to provide are far from enough,” said Russell. She highlighted the hindrances caused by constant bombing and restrictions on materials and fuel entering the territory, preventing critical progress. Urgent supplies are required to repair damaged water systems.
Since the initiation of Israel’s indiscriminate bombing campaign after Hamas’s October 7 attacks, doctors and aid workers have been warning about the potential spread of diseases and epidemics.
Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates a concerning surge in diarrhoea cases, especially in children under five, with a 66 percent increase to 59,895 from November 29 to December 10. The rest of the population also saw a 55 percent rise in such cases.
Last week, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that the WHO identified cases of meningitis, chickenpox, jaundice, and upper respiratory tract infections. However, the agency cautioned that these figures may not present the full picture due to a lack of complete information, with the health system and other services in Gaza nearing collapse.
