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More than half of Gaza’s population is receiving less than a quarter of the minimum amount of water needed each day for drinking, cooking and basic hygiene, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
More than 1.3 million people, representing over half of the population of the Gaza Strip, are receiving an average of less than six litres of water per person per day for drinking and cooking.
In emergency situations, a minimum of 15 litres per person per day is considered necessary for drinking, cooking and basic hygiene.
OCHA said another 700,000 people, or more than one-third of Gaza’s population, are receiving less than nine litres of water per day.
The severe shortage is making it increasingly difficult for people to maintain personal hygiene, clean their homes and care for children.
People are also being forced to wait for hours at drinking-water collection points. Many households lack sufficient containers to carry water home, with children often being involved in the difficult task of collecting supplies.
Currently, around three out of every four people in Gaza depend on water delivered by trucks.
Over the past month, humanitarian organisations supplied water to more than 250 collection points and over 100 displacement camps each day.
The sanitation situation is also deteriorating. Only around half of Gaza’s households have access to basic sanitation facilities.
More than 900,000 people are also facing health risks from direct exposure to accumulated waste in residential areas, according to the UN assessment.
The worsening water, sanitation and hygiene conditions are increasing the vulnerability of Gaza’s population to disease and other public-health risks.