Food & water
Water and Sanitation Facilities Under Fire: Attacks Triple in Conflict Zones, Threatening Millions of Children
UNICEF’s Water Under Fire report shows attacks on water and sanitation systems in conflict zones more than tripled from 2021 to 2025, with over 135 incidents across 15 countries, endangering 137.9 million people, especially children.
American Impact Alliance News Desk2 minute read
Rising Assaults on Critical WASH Infrastructure
The latest UNICEF analysis documents a sharp surge in attacks on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities. Fewer than 45 incidents were recorded across eight countries in 2021, while more than 135 incidents occurred in 2025 across 15 countries, and the phenomenon has spread to more than 23 countries and territories through mid‑2026. Seven assault categories are identified, ranging from strikes on treatment plants, pipelines and wells to deliberate contamination and restrictions on spare‑part supplies. Notable cases include Sudan, where only one of 13 treatment plants in Khartoum state remained fully operational by March 2024, and the Gaza Strip, where over 130,000 metres of sewage pipelines have been destroyed since October 2023. In Iraq, a November 2025 drone strike on a gas field cut electricity output in the Kurdistan region by about 80 percent, forcing authorities to ration power between water projects, hospitals and cities.
Consequences for Children and Communities
Disruption of safe water supplies creates a cascade of health and protection risks, especially for children. Without clean water, health facilities cannot sterilise equipment, deliver babies safely or prepare therapeutic milk for severely malnourished children, raising the likelihood of disease outbreaks and worsening malnutrition. The report records children killed, injured or harmed while queuing for water, and highlights heightened vulnerability of women and girls who fetch water, including exposure to sexual violence and loss of schooling. In Lebanon, at least 14 water‑facility employees were killed during the 2024 conflict, underscoring the danger faced by essential workers. Overall, about 137.9 million people in coordinated WASH responses now require assistance.
Funding Shortfalls and Protection Appeals
Humanitarian financing is falling short of the scale needed to safeguard water and sanitation services. Only 26 percent of the funding required for this year’s WASH response has been received, despite the growing number of attacks and the 137.9 million people who need help. UNICEF urges warring parties, donor governments and humanitarian actors to protect WASH infrastructure as a core element of civilian survival, to establish systematic data‑collection mechanisms on attacks, and to guarantee safe, unhindered access for water and energy workers. The agency stresses that repairs alone cannot replace the protection mandated by international humanitarian law and calls for investment in conflict‑resilient service models.