Food & water
Water and Sanitation Systems Under Fire: Attacks Triple in Conflict Zones, Threatening Children
UNICEF’s Water Under Fire report shows attacks on water and sanitation facilities rose from fewer than 45 incidents in eight countries in 2021 to over 135 in fifteen countries by 2025, endangering children and disrupting essential services.
Escalating Assaults on WASH Infrastructure
Between 2021 and 2025, documented assaults on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems more than tripled, rising from under 45 incidents across eight nations to more than 135 incidents in fifteen nations. UNICEF identified seven attack types, from direct strikes on treatment plants, pipelines and wells to deliberate contamination and limits on spare‑part supplies. In Sudan’s Khartoum state, only one of 13 treatment plants remained fully operational by March 2024, while in the Gaza Strip over 130,000 metres of sewage pipelines have been destroyed since October 2023. A November 2025 drone strike on an Iraqi gas field cut regional electricity output by about 80 percent, forcing water projects to compete with hospitals and cities for limited power.
Health and Safety Impacts for Children and Communities
The loss of safe water reverberates through health services that rely on it for sterilising equipment, delivering babies and preparing therapeutic milk for severely malnourished children. UNICEF recorded children killed, injured or harmed while queuing for water, especially in the Gaza Strip, and highlighted heightened risks of sexual violence and lost schooling for women and girls tasked with fetching water. In Lebanon, at least 14 water‑facility employees were killed during the 2024 conflict, underscoring the danger faced by essential workers. These disruptions increase the likelihood of disease outbreaks, malnutrition and further violence among vulnerable populations.
Funding Gaps and Calls for Protective Measures
Across countries with coordinated humanitarian WASH responses, an estimated 137.9 million people require assistance, yet only about 26 percent of the required funding has been secured for the current year. UNICEF’s executive director called for the protection of water and sanitation infrastructure under international humanitarian law, urging warring parties, donors and humanitarian actors to establish systematic data‑collection mechanisms, guarantee safe access for workers and supplies, and invest in conflict‑resilient service models. Without such protection, repairs alone cannot replace the essential role of reliable WASH services for children’s survival, development and long‑term health outcomes.