Gaza faces severe water and sanitation crisis, UN reports

Humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip remain critical, with the United Nations reporting severe water and sanitation shortages. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 1.3 million people—over half the population—have access to less than 6 liters of water per person per day for drinking and cooking. This falls significantly below the emergency humanitarian standard of 15 liters per person.

An additional 700,000 people have access to fewer than 9 liters of water daily for household use, impacting hygiene and childcare. Three out of four residents rely on water supplied by tanker trucks. Sanitation remains a major concern, as only half of all households have access to basic private facilities, leaving the remainder to use unsafe shared facilities.

In addition to water scarcity, waste management issues persist. While humanitarian partners collect approximately 80 percent of solid waste, over 900,000 people report exposure to accumulated waste in residential areas. OCHA noted that consistent funding, import permits for spare parts, and access to landfills are essential to addressing these public health risks.