The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Thursday of the risks of escalating targeting of clean water and wastewater systems during conflicts, and the resulting exposure of communities, especially children, to disease outbreaks and denial of access to safe drinking water.
The UN News Centre quoted UNICEF as saying in a report titled "Water Under Fire" that it documented attacks damaging water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems, as well as the workers and beneficiaries relying on them, in 23 countries and territories between January 2021 and June 2026, revealing an increasing pattern of attacks affecting wider geographical areas worldwide.
Types of attacks and their consequences
UNICEF identified seven types of attacks, ranging from targeting treatment plants, pipelines, and wells, to polluting water sources, and imposing restrictions on the supply of spare parts and chemicals necessary for water treatment. Among the many cases documented, it stated that by March 2024, only one out of 13 water treatment plants in Khartoum State remained fully operational.
Furthermore, more than 130,000 meters of sewage pipelines were destroyed in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The organization confirmed that water supply interruptions can occur even if pipes and pumps remain intact, citing the case of Iraq where a drone attack on a gas field in November 2025 reduced electricity production in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq by approximately 80%.
Risks to children and workers
UNICEF emphasized that the lack of clean water leads to a series of serious consequences, including the inability to sterilize equipment in health facilities, perform safe deliveries, or prepare therapeutic milk for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. The organization documented children being killed, injured, or harmed while waiting in lines for water, and also highlighted the risks facing women and girls responsible for fetching water.
It also shed light on the risks faced by water facility workers, noting that the UN recorded the killing of 14 water sector employees in Lebanon during the 2024 conflict. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell confirmed that attacks on water and sanitation systems deprive children of safe drinking water and essential services that rely on water to function effectively.
Funding and protection gaps
UNICEF called on conflict parties, member states, donors, and humanitarian and development actors to protect water, sanitation, and hygiene systems in conflict zones. It noted that efforts by humanitarian workers to ensure access to clean water are being undermined by sharp funding cuts.
It mentioned that in countries with coordinated humanitarian responses in the WASH sector, 137.9 million people need assistance in this field, while only 26% of the required funding for 2026 has been provided. Russell affirmed that repair work cannot substitute for the protection of these facilities, as mandated by international humanitarian law.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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