DayofPal—The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is warning that the near-total breakdown of sanitation services in the Gaza Strip has created a mounting public-health crisis.
As water and sewage infrastructure remain devastated after prolonged Israeli attacks, the sanitation collapse would cause more infectious diseases to outbreak.
According to the agency, half of all families in Gaza are now relying on improvised toilets, including buckets, while 21% report witnessing open defecation.
UNICEF says these conditions reflect the widespread collapse of basic services following months of bombardment that destroyed large portions of the territory’s water and sanitation network.
UNICEF teams are attempting to expand access to clean water and install emergency latrines, but officials say the scale of need “far exceeds” current humanitarian capacity.
The agency notes that years of Israeli blockade measures and strict limits on aid deliveries have prevented the entry of essential equipment and materials needed to repair water systems, sewage networks, homes, roads, and healthcare facilities.
Humanitarian organizations warn that without immediate restoration of critical infrastructure, the risk of disease outbreaks will continue to rise, further endangering Gaza’s civilian population.
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