Gaza: We Continue to Provide Water, Sanitation and Education to Thousands of Displaced People

The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip continues to worsen. Every day, hundreds of thousands of people face extremely difficult living conditions after months of displacement, insecurity and limited access to essential services. Families forced to live in overcrowded tents or damaged buildings are struggling to meet increasingly urgent daily needs: finding safe drinking water, accessing adequate sanitation facilities, protecting their children's health and ensuring they have opportunities to learn. 

Today, nearly 1.9 million people are living in displacement. Children, women, older people and persons with disabilities are among those paying the highest price for a crisis that continues to affect every aspect of daily life. In this context, we continue to work alongside the most vulnerable communities, providing essential services and helping to preserve dignity, health and protection. 

According to available data, Gaza's water and sanitation infrastructure has suffered devastating damage: 88% of above-ground facilities have been partially or completely destroyed, while 76% of underground networks have been damaged. The shortage of safe water, the accumulation of waste and the widespread presence of sewage near populated areas are increasing health risks for hundreds of thousands of people. 

In many displacement sites, access to water remains one of the most urgent daily concerns. During the summer months, as temperatures rise and sanitary conditions deteriorate, having access to a reliable source of safe drinking water becomes even more critical for the health and wellbeing of families. 

In July, we provided safe drinking water to more than 30,895 people, including over 14,500 children, and reached more than 3,000 people through hygiene promotion and health awareness activities. In addition, we distributed hygiene kits and dignity kits to 6,505 displaced families and supported waste collection services in several displacement camps. 

With the arrival of the summer heat, we adapted our awareness-raising activities to address the growing health risks associated with the spread of rodents and disease-carrying insects. In collaboration with volunteers from Local Hygiene Committees, we organised community meetings, educational games, recreational activities and discussion sessions to share information on safe hygiene practices, waste management and disease prevention. 

These activities go beyond providing useful information. They also help strengthen communities' ability to protect themselves and their families in a context where access to basic services remains severely disrupted. 

To improve sanitation conditions in displacement sites, we launched an innovative project to build 2,112 family latrines through a participatory approach that places communities at its centre. 

Having access to a safe, private and dignified sanitation facility is something many of us take for granted. For thousands of displaced people in Gaza, however, it is essential to their health, safety and everyday wellbeing. 

To date, 550 safe, private and functional family latrines have already been completed in the Al Shikh Ibrahim and Smile camps, thanks to the direct involvement of beneficiary families, community leaders and local workers employed through Cash for Work programmes. 

This model not only improves access to adequate sanitation services but also strengthens community ownership and collective responsibility. At the same time, it creates temporary income opportunities for people who have lost their livelihoods as a result of the crisis. 

The war continues to have devastating consequences for education. According to estimates, nearly 700,000 children have now lost almost three consecutive years of in-person formal education, while around 98% of school buildings have been damaged. 

Behind these figures lies the very real risk of an entire generation being deprived not only of its right to education, but also of the sense of stability, relationships and daily routine that schools provide in the lives of children. 

To respond to this educational emergency, we continue to provide learning opportunities and psychosocial support through temporary learning spaces. During the school year, we supported the rehabilitation of 12 Temporary Learning Spaces and engaged more than 4,050 children in educational activities, learning recovery programmes and socio-emotional support initiatives. 

For many children, these spaces are more than places where they can continue learning. They are safe environments where they can play, express themselves, build relationships and regain, at least in part, a sense of normality that the conflict has deeply disrupted. 

Behind every number are people trying to rebuild their daily lives, parents doing everything they can to protect their children, and girls and boys who continue to learn, play and dream despite the war. This is why we remain alongside Gaza's communities, working to ensure access to essential services, safer living conditions and a future marked by greater dignity and hope.